Flight of the Mockingbird
by hogwartsalways5298
Summary: It's been five years since Sweet Tooth's attack, and Natalia Jordyn is just another orphan living in Gotham City. She idolizes Batman and Robin and dreams of one day leaving the orphanage and becoming a hero like them. What happens when her dreams become reality? Will she save the city she loves? Or will she crumble in the face of her foes? Rated T for swearing and mild violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, FanFiction lovers! Hogwarts Always here. This is my first fanfic (also the first story I've written where you don't have to tilt your head and squint from a distance to detect any romance), so please be nice – only constructive criticism, no flat-out rudeness. I actually had to write this because I lost a bet, but I went a little overboard, as you can tell… Either way, it's really long, but the chapters are fairly short and I plan on trying to post at least one a day, maybe two if I can. Just remember, this is HMB, NOT traditional Batman, so the characters (ESPECIALLY Batman, and also Robin, obviously) are pretty much censored versions of their musical selves as I think they would be five years after the events of the musical. Also, I'm not the greatest at making up puns, so sorry if there aren't enough for you. I'm more of an action/suspense/drama sort of person than a comedy gal. This first part is going to be a short prologue and the first chapter. Thanks, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Batman, Robin, Gotham or any of that; they belong to DC Comics. Sadly, I'm not a part of Team Starkid and therefore don't own Sweet Tooth, Candy, or any of their original characters/ideas. All I've got is Natalia, the plotline, a few relatively unimportant characters, and a small handful of alter egos for some already existing characters. Nothing else belongs to me. Not even most of the puns.**

**Prologue**

It had been nearly five years. Five long years since the fateful day when Sweet Tooth tried to take over Gotham and was defeated by Batman. Five years since the morning when the police found no trace of his body in that vat of boiling hot chocolate, and had decided that his body had been melted by the extreme heat. Five years, and at long last, all of his followers had been killed, imprisoned, or had simply vanished.

During those five years, little had happened in Gotham. Batman had stopped a few rogues from wreaking havoc, but the city had remained relatively peaceful, its crime rates reaching a new all-time low.

Almost everyone had forgotten about Sweet Tooth. Everyone, it seemed, but Natalia Jordyn.

**Chapter 1**

**NJ **

One morning, exactly one month before the five year anniversary of his defeat, Natalia arrived at the dance company she worked with. It had started as merely a way to earn a little extra money, but over the years the head, Cyndi Travis, had grown fond of Natalia. Her husband, Samuel Travis, had disappeared shortly before Sweet Tooth's reign of terror had begun. Natalia thought that she may have taken her under her wing in an effort to get over the loss of Sam. Cyndi had told the orphanage director that Natalia was hard at work cleaning the studio. However, she was really taking classes there, and held a small job teaching class on the weekends. She walked into the main studio to find that Cyndi was already there, about to make an announcement. Natalia sat on the floor, laced up her pointe shoes, and listened.

"Now, kids," Cyndi said, "as you all know, the five year anniversary of Sweet Tooth's defeat is one month away." They all nodded. "Many of the citizens have forgotten what a wonderful service Batman performed for them. That is why, in one month, we will be performing a ballet depicting Sweet Tooth's downfall, Robin's first appearance, and all events in between."

The students all gasped; it was a brilliant idea! Who knew, maybe Batman himself would show! They chattered excitedly for a few moments, the turned their attention back on Cyndi.

"I have already cast the parts," she continued. An excited murmur started up. "However, they are not absolutely set in stone. I have chosen them based off skill, acting ability, and in some cases size. Also, be aware – in this production, gender is not the biggest factor I considered when casting. While roles such as Candy and Poison Ivy will be filled by girls, a few male roles, the most notable of which being Robin, may be filled by girls as well. This is simply because there are more male parts than female parts, and we have more female dancers than male dancers.

Natalia glanced down at her slender but muscular 5'5" frame. She knew that she was probably too tall to play a ten year old Robin, but still prayed that she would. They were the exact same age, and it had always impressed her that he had been fighting crime since he was so young. Plus, she had to admit, he _was _really cute.

In just a second, Natalia was pulled into a daydream about the ballet. She would play Robin, and everyone would love it. Then Robin and Batman would come and rescue her from that awful orphanage, and she could fight side by side with them.

She was pulled out of her daydream by the sound of Cyndi's voice calling out roles. She crossed her fingers and hoped for the part.

"Batman will be played by…" Cyndi began, checking her notes, "Nicholas. Sweet Tooth will be… Alex." Natalia waited, impatient and nervous, as she made her way through the list. Finally, at the very end, Cyndi announced the part Natalia was waiting for. If she wasn't Robin, she would just be a part of the ensemble.

"And Robin…" Cyndi glanced up from her paper and looked straight at Natalia. "Natalia, you will play Robin. You're the only person I'm sure I got the casting right on, so you've got to do well."

Natalia squealed, excited. "I promise I won't let you down! Thanks so much!" she said, beaming. She could already picture herself flying about the stage, portraying Gotham's most well-known teenager.

With that, they began to learn the choreography. The minute they began, Natalia could tell that this was going to be a very fun, but very tough, month.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! I haven't had much to do today (besides homework, anyway… Eh, I can do it tomorrow), so I decided to go ahead and post the next chapter! It's pretty slow at the beginning, obviously, but I'll give y'all a tiny tiny bit of action in this part, then you'll just have to wait a little longer. I might decide to post some more later tonight, since this is pretty short. Dunno yet. Enjoy, children!**

**Disclaimer: Read the last chapter. I don't feel like writing that again. Maybe I'll put it down every few chapters.**

**Chapter 2**

***30 Days Later***

**NJ**

It was New Year's Eve. Many people would be watching the annual airing of Notting Hill, but not Natalia. She was on her way back to Miss Abigail's Home for Orphans from the final dress rehearsal of the studio's ballet. After some thought, they had decided to name it "Holy Ballet, Batman!"

Natalia walked down a deserted street in her Robin costume. It was easily her favorite costume she had ever had. True, she wasn't fond of the short black wig. But the shorts were so easy to dance in, as opposed to her usual tutu, and she loved her emerald green pointe shoes. The red vest and short golden cape trailed behind her on turns, and the effect was wonderful. However, her favorite part of the costume had to be the sparkling black mask. Natalia was usually a rather shy person, and she felt that the mask added the spark of mystery she needed. In that costume, she could truly become Robin

Suddenly, Natalia heard a noise come from behind her. She whirled around, but found nothing there. She knew better than to be lulled into a false sense of security. Thugs were all over in this area of town, waiting to jump unsuspecting passerby. Natalia quickened her pace, hoping to reach the orphanage as soon as possible.

It wasn't meant to be.

Four men strolled out from behind a building. "Well, well," said one. "If it isn't the Boy Wonder. Wonder what he's doing out here?"

Another one of the men spoke up. "Yeah, I don't see the bat nowhere. Let's grab him and take him in."

The men advanced toward Natalia. She could sense that they were preparing to strike. She had to talk fast.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she managed to squeak out. "I'm not Robin. I'm just a dancer." The men stopped in their tracks.

"A dancer?" the first said. "Why, this isn't the bird! It's a little chick!" The men laughed, and the noise sent a chill down her spine.

"I'm not afraid of you," Natalia said, a little louder this time. "You don't scare me."

They ceased their laughter immediately. "What did you say to me?" the first, who seemed to be the leader, asked. "Well, missy, I suggest you just hand over that little bag, and no one needs to get hurt."

Natalia screamed at the top of her lungs. Immediately, one of the men who hadn't yet spoken clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling her scream. He released her after just a moment or two, and Natalia reached up and hit him. A small scuffle broke out, ending with Natalia's arms pinned behind her back.

"Let's try that again, shall we? Give me that bag, girl."

With that, he pulled out a gun.

**DG**

A few blocks away, a teenage boy sitting in a high- tech car heard a scream. He turned to his friend and partner.

"Did you hear that, Bruce?" Robin asked. "I think someone just screamed. It sounded like a woman, or maybe a girl."

"Yeah, I heard it, Dick," Batman replied. "Let's go check it out." They sped around the corner and out of view. Within just a minute or so they had parked the Batmobile and were walking down the alley Robin thought the scream had come from. Before long, they stumbled upon a strange sight.

"Batman, who is that?" Robin asked, confused.

"I don't know, Robin, but whoever they are they look a lot like you."

They watched from a distance for a few seconds more. They saw Robin's look-alike take on a much larger thug. The person, whoever it was, fought well, but was overcome quickly due to the sheer size of their opponent. Robin stiffened as one of the men drew a gun on the person.

"Batman, we have to help them. Come on!"

The Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder bolted up to the group.

"Drop your weapons and let that person go," Batman said.

The man with the gun sneered, but it was clear that he and the rest of his gang were frightened. "And if we don't want to?"

Batman and Robin looked at each other, nodded, and attacked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Forgot to mention this earlier, but in case you can't tell, Natalia is clearly the main character of this fanfic. However, some parts are told from Dick's point of view. Once in a blue moon there will be one from Sweet Tooth, and I think there might be one from Alfred. There's one from Bruce too, at some point. Probably going to take Alfred's out, though, as it isn't really necessary to the story. Anyway, differing points of view are shown by the character's first and last initial capitalized and bolded before their section. For example, NJ = Natalia Jordyn, DG = Dick Grayson. As we progress through the story, there probably won't be as many POV swaps. There will almost always be one or two in fight scenes, though. Get my drift? Good. Now, let's continue!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still refuse to write that again. Maybe later.**

**NJ**

Natalia thought she was done for. Suddenly, she heard footsteps running in her direction. The sources were quickly upon the group. Batman and Robin!

Batman spoke. "Drop your weapons, and let that person go."

"And if we don't want to?" snarled the lead thug.

With that, Batman and Robin attacked. The man holding Natalia dropped her, and she took part in the fight. She wasn't as strong as either member of the dynamic duo, so she took on the smallest member of the group. They traded punches for a short while, when Natalia finally got the better of him with a roundhouse kick. She turned, and saw the large thug that had been holding her barreling in her direction.

**DG**

As he fought, Robin watched the victim out of the corner of his eye. He was still unsure as to why they were dressed as him, but all he could tell was that this person, whoever they were, could fight. Yes, they were clearly untrained and knew little to nothing about combat, but they were still fairly strong. As Batman fought the leader, Robin finished off the one who seemed to be second in command. Soon after, the stranger took down the third member. But where was the person who had been holding them? His question was answered in a matter of seconds as the great brute raced toward the stranger.

Robin dove and tackled him. He began to fight, and before long felt the stranger, and moments later Batman, at his side. As Batman struck the blow that knocked the thug out, the stranger spoke to Robin.

**NJ**

"Thanks," Natalia said, hiding the fact that on the inside, she was more excited than ever before. "You just saved my life."

"Not a problem," said Batman.

"Besides," added Robin, "I'm sure you could've taken them. You fight pretty well."

"Thanks," Natalia said, blushing.

Batman glanced at Robin. "We have to go back to the Batcave, Robin. Come on."

"Surely we can at least escort this lovely lady home?" asked Robin.

Natalia chuckled. "Oh, I am most certainly not a lady. Female, yes, but lady? Hell no."

Robin grinned. "Well then, Miss Not-A-Lady, what may we call you?"

"Oh my god, I'm sorry!" Natalia said. "You're probably freaking out because I look like you."

Batman smiled slightly. "Just a bit."

"Well," she said, "My name is Natalia Jordyn. I'm fifteen. And of course, I know who you two are."

They began to walk. "Why, pray tell, are you dressed as me?" Robin asked her.

"Oh, sorry again," Natalia said. "I'm a dancer, and my studio is performing a tribute for the five year anniversary of Sweet Tooth's defeat. I'm playing you, Robin." As she spoke, she pulled off her wig and mask, then unraveled her hair from her bun and let it fall down her back. "Sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"It's fine," said Batman. "Where are we going, anyway?"

Natalia scowled. "Miss Abigail's Home for Orphans. Unfortunately, I'm stuck there until I'm eighteen."

"Hey, at least it's just three years. Who knows, maybe it'll be less," said Robin. "I know, it sucks being in an orphanage, but you'll survive. I can tell you're tough."

Natalia didn't question Robin mentioning he'd lived in an orphanage. A lot of superheroes were orphans, after all.

"Here we are," Batman said. "Good luck with that dance thing."

An idea popped into Natalia's head. Just as the pair was turning away, she called out to them.

"Wait!" she said, and they turned back around. "I know that everyone would appreciate it if you would come to the performance. It starts at seven o' clock tomorrow night. If you can't come, that's okay, but I know we would all love to see you there, so please just come, you know, if you're able to."

Robin beamed at Natalia. "We'll try our best to be there." With that, the two disappeared into the night.

Natalia snuck inside, pulled on her pajamas, and slithered under the covers. Thankfully, Miss Amelia hadn't noticed that she was in bed a few minutes after curfew.

The dormitory was soon filled with the sound of snoring girls. As Natalia fell asleep, she thought to herself, _Just three years… Three years…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, children. Since I like you people, here's the next part to my story! Enjoy the ravings of my sleep-deprived mind!**

**DG**

"Dick? Where are you?" Bruce called. "Alfred says it's time for lunch."

Dick sat on his bed in Wayne Manor, typing as fast as he could on his laptop. A moment later, his door swung open.

"What are you doing, Dick?" Bruce asked. "I said it's time for lunch."

Dick continued typing on his computer. "I'm trying to find out more about the girl we met last night, Natalia Jordyn. She seemed sweet. And smart."

Bruce sighed. "Oh, Dick," he said. "What have you found out?"

"Well, she's a few months younger than me, she's been dancing most of her life, and she currently is a part of CT & ST Dance Academy."

"Okay, Dick. Have you figured anything out about her parents?"

Dick looked up at Bruce. "I'm reading that now." A few

minutes later, he spoke again. "It says here that her parents were a pair of scientists. They were a pretty well-off family, but..."

"But what?" asked Batman.

Dick looked upset. "On her seventh birthday, some criminal broke into their house. Her parents had been trying to develop a cure to some rare disease, and they had just made a breakthrough. They were planning on going out to dinner with Natalia and their son Jason, but they were running late and..."

"What?"

"Well, the villain, whoever he was, had brought a bunch of his followers with him, and when they found the family, they freaked. They hadn't planned on them being there. So when the two Jordyn parents tried to stop the thieves, they were shot. As was seventeen year old Jason. Then they just left Natalia there. Surrounded by the bodies of her family. No one checked on them until the next day. Natalia has been passed around orphanages ever since."

Bruce and Dick stared at the computer page. Dick spoke up. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Bruce nodded.

Dick shut his laptop. "We're going to that performance tonight. We deserve a night off, and hardly anyone will be there to support her. Even if we go as Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, we're still going."

Bruce smiled at his young ward. "Agreed."

**Yeah yeah, super super short chapter. I never noticed how short I tend to make chapters... Oh well. I'll add more later today, probably, since I don't have dance class. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, I'm sitting here waiting for my Spanish teacher to show up, and since he isn't here yet, I figured I would post more since I posted a tiny chapter. I might actually post another in a bit, since I'm starting to realize how annoyingly short my chapters are. Here you go, children! Chapter Five!**

**NJ**

Natalia looked at her reflection in the mirror and stuck one final pin into her wig, securing it in place. She should've known that Batman and Robin wouldn't come. They had criminals to stop, and besides, she was just one random teenage orphan. Why would they have cared about her?

She smoothed her costume and kissed the photo tucked into the corner of her mirror. It was from the night before her parents died. It showed the four of them, a happy family, hugging and celebrating after her parents had made their huge discovery. It brought back some bittersweet memories. Natalia felt tears begin to prick her eyes.

Natalia felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She turned. It was Ms. Cyndi Travis. Her dark hair, normally slicked back into a bun, now bounced in tight curls, separated into two ponytails. For some reason, she reminded Natalia of someone...

"Are you ready?" Cyndi asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." She checked her makeup one last time and flew out onto the stage, head held high.

**DG**

Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson sat in one of the front rows of the theater. The watched intently as Natalia leapt onto the stage in her Robin costume. Anyone who saw her could tell she was gifted. She told a story with every movement, and by intermission, everyone was talking about her.

"She's wonderful, isn't she?" Dick sighed.

"Yes." Bruce smiled to himself. He was pretty sure the Boy Wonder had a little crush...

The audience soon settled back into their seats, preparing for the second act.

Act II was, if anything, better than the first. The storyline was clear as day, each dancer telling their part. Dick was completely enthralled by Natalia's performance. Every time she was held back by Sweet Tooth's character she showed her pain. It reminded him of his time as the villain's captive. Every time she would get back up, struggle to go on, he would find himself remembering similar moments. Toward the end of the act, before she was rescued, watching her character slowly give up hope nearly broke Dick's heart. Batman looked over to seem tears forming in his ward's eyes.

"What's wrong, Dick?" he whispered.

"Nothing," Dick replied. "Just memories and the beauty of this piece."

As the music reached a crescendo, Natalia was picked up in the air in a beautiful lift by Batman's character. Dick was petrified she would fall, but she never wobbled. She was lowered onto the ground as the final battle began. Although she played no part in the final battle of Sweet Tooth versus Batman, Dick still found himself watching her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! I figured out how to update from my phone, so chapters might be posted a lot faster now. I'll try to post two or three a day, depending on the length. Plus, now it wont take over a month to post the whole thing. So yeah, happy belated Mother's Day, Internet. That's your present. **

**NJ**

Natalia returned to the stage for the curtain call. As she took her bow, she was met with thunderous applause. She smiled. She was proud of her performance. It had been the most amazing time of her life. She bowed again, this time with the rest of the dancers. She searched the audience and knew that the dynamic duo was nowhere to be found.

She sighed. They were probably too busy anyway. She continued to look around the audience and spied billionaire Bruce Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson seated in one of the front rows. Natalia couldn't believe that such an important person would come to the performance! The two of them were looking at her and smiling. As the applause continued, she blushed mightily from all of the attention.

A few minutes later, as the curtains drew to a close, she realized something. There had been rumors flying around that Bruce and Dick were very good friends with Batman and Robin. Maybe, just maybe, they had come in their stead. Natalia swore she would find out.

She flew backstage, pulled a robe on over her costume, ripped off her wig, and darted out to the lobby. People walked up to her, trying to talk, and she stopped a few moments for each. However, she kept her eyes peeled for the billionaire and his ward. She couldn't be distracted by all of the people. She was a woman on a mission.

**DG**

Dick and Bruce stood near the doors of the theater.

"Dick," Bruce whispered, "We have to go back to the manor. We've wasted enough time. We have to go work."

"Bruce, calm down," Dick replied. "I'm sure the world won't explode if we stay for a few more minutes. Besides, I want to congratulate Natalia on her performance."

Bruce sighed. "I suppose. But if she's not here in ten minutes or less, we're leaving."

Dick scanned the crowd, searching for Natalia's golden blonde bun. After a few minutes, he thought he saw her, but whoever it was was completely surrounded by other people from the moment she walked out of the dressing room. The blob of dancer and fans slowly began to make their way in Bruce and Dick's direction.

"Bruce," he whispered, "I'm fairly sure that's her."

Bruce scanned the crowd. At the precise moment he saw her, she noticed them.

She mouthed, "Please wait. Just a minute."

Dick nodded, and a big smile lit up her face.

Eventually, Natalia managed to push through the crowd and was standing in front of Bruce and Dick.

"Thank you," she said. "It means so much to me, to all of us, that you came."

Dick smiled. "It took a while to get him to go, but I eventually convinced him."

Bruce smirked a little. "More like pestered me into submission."

Dick glared at Bruce for half a second before continuing. "Anyway, that was a stunning performance, Miss Jordyn. Absolutely wonderful."

Natalia blushed even more. "Thank you for all of the flattery. Actually, though, I do have a quick question to ask you. Can you you keep a secret?"

"Well, I can," said Dick, "but I wouldn't be too sure about Mr. Wayne over here."

Bruce broke in. "Yes, we can both keep a secret perfectly well. What is it you want us to know?"

"Well, said Natalia, "Is it true that you two are friends with Batman and Robin?"

Bruce and Dick glanced at each other. "Why, yes," said Bruce. "You could say that we are."

Natalia smiled, clearly relieved. "Good. Well, the other night, I got into trouble, and the pair of them came and rescued me." Bruce and Dick feigned surprise. "I asked them to come to this performance, and since they couldn't... Could you maybe give them a recording?" She said this all very fast, and it was a moment before Dick replied.

"Of course we will," he said. "The next time we see them, we'll tell them you said thanks."

"Thank you so much! I have to go now. Goodbye!" With that, she ran off.

"Strange girl," said Bruce.

"No, she's not!" said Dick, defensive. "She's very nice."

"I was only kidding," said Bruce. "Come on, let's go home."

The pair walked off. Dick was smiling slightly, humming music from the ballet. Bruce looked at him. They had known each other for five years, and he could tell. Dick was falling hard for Natalia.

**Yup, this will be an eventual DickxOC. Pretty sure I warned you at the beginning, though. It's nothing too horribly detailed or lovey-dovey, as I've never dated before, only had crushes. If you don't like it, it won't be too hard to ignore. Just imagine he's super protective for some reason, or something. It might take away from the story a bit, though. Anyway, I'll stop babbling and driving up the word count now. Bye!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Welcome back to the world of my messed up brain! Enjoy your stay, because you aren't leaving!**

**Disclaimer: I will put this on the first update I do tomorrow. Pinky promise!**

**NJ**

The next day, Natalia whistled happily as she walked to the orphanage. She had spent the night with a few friends at the studio to celebrate the performance. It had been wonderful. Although she was dreading the return to the orphanage, she couldn't help but be happy. Last night had put her in the most amazing mood.

She entered the orphanage as quietly as possible. Natalia hoped with all her heart that Miss Abigail had not noticed her absence last night, and that she would be able to run in, change, and head back to her teaching job at the studio.

The moment she walked past the front desk, a sickly sweet voice drifted from behind it.

"Out late last night, were we?" Miss Abigail called. She slid out from behind the desk, shuffling her short legs as fast as she could. "Why are you just now returning?"

Natalia thought fast. "You know how I clean at the studio? So I was cleaning last night, and, um, there was a performance. So I had to help, you know, with makeup and hair and things. Then I still had to finish cleaning the studio, and I didn't finish till three in the morning, and Ms. Travis didn't want me walking home alone so late, so she, um, let me spend the night in her office. So, I'm just now getting back. I have to go back to the studio as soon as possible to help."

Miss Abigail's eyes narrowed, but then she said, "Very well. As long as she's working you hard." She turned and began to walk away. Natalia headed back to the dorm

"Oh, and Jordyn?"

"Yes, Miss?"

"I'm warning you, the next time that you break curfew, or aren't here when you need to be, there will be trouble. Big trouble."

Natalia nodded. The head of the orphanage walked away, and she went to her small cot. Luckily, all of the girls in her dorm were down at breakfast, so she had the room to herself.

She pulled her small clothes bag out from underneath her bed and pulled out a leotard and a fresh pair of tights. Natalia dug through her bag for a few minutes more, then pulled out a slightly bulging envelope. All of the money she had made in the past year was crammed inside. Carefully, she placed it at the bottom of her dance bag. She had been putting all of her money in an account at the Gotham City First National Bank, in order to save up for the day she was able to leave Miss Abigail's. She was going to deposit some of her savings today, after class.

After triple checking to make sure that she had everything she needed, Natalia grabbed her bag and raced out the door.

**There will be some action in the next part, I SWEAR. For now, you'll have to live with a three second long argument. Sorry!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yay! Action!**

**NJ**

Natalia walked down the street on her way to the bank, dripping with sweat. She had just taught a three hour pointe class, and then proceeded to teach the brand new two hour Zumba class. After that, she still had to put up with a group of three and four year olds and teach them. She was completely wiped out. She entered the cool, dark, quiet bank and sighed. It felt so nice.

Natalia waited in line for about half an hour, taking the opportunity and reading a short book. Soon before she arrived at the counter, two men in dark suits walked in. As they got in line behind her, she noticed that they both wore brightly colored ties. One was hot pink, the other electric blue. Natalia thought it was odd that they chose to wear those colors with such dark suits, but she didn't find it terribly suspicious. Plenty of people in Gotham had a really strange sense of style.

She reached the teller. "Deposit for Natalia Jordyn, please."

The teller smiled slightly and said, "Yes indeed, ma'am. Where is the money?"

Natalia pulled the envelope out. Just as she placed it on the counter, she heard a scream from behind her. She whirled around. Both of the men in suits were now wielding guns.

"This is a robbery!" shouted the man with the pink tie. "Down on the ground!"

Everyone sat, and Natalia slowly slid down the wall. All of a sudden, one man jumped up and rushed the criminals. The man with the blue tie fired one shot, inches above his head. The man stopped and slowly raised his arms. The man with the pink tie pushed him down to the ground.

"Now," he said, "If anyone tries something like that again, Joe here will blow this girl's brains out." Without warning, Natalia was yanked up and a gun was pressed to her temple. "And this time, I promise he won't miss."

Natalia shook like a leaf. She could die today. This wasn't supposed to happen. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw the Batman symbol hanging in the sky outside. She couldn't be sure.

"Now you, bank teller," he continued, leveling his gun on the scared young man. "You are going to take the three of us back to the vaults. You will take out everything and put it in this bag." He thrust out a burlap sack. He turned to the frightened citizens. "If any of you try to escape, you die, and she dies." Everyone nodded.

"Come on, girl," growled the man with the blue tie. "You're coming with us."

There was a crash from the front of the store. The two thugs whirled around, and the pink-tied thug leveled his gun on the now shattered glass door.

"Who's there?" he called. "I'm warning you, show yourselves. If you don't, this poor little girl is getting a bullet to the brain."

"Oh no she's not!" called a voice from outside. With that, in ran Batman and Robin. The tension in the room doubled. The man with the pink tie paled slightly, but his partner only gripped Natalia tighter, nearly cutting off her air. She smiled weakly at the two heroes, praying that they would save her.

**DG**

Batman and Robin rushed to the Batmobile, alarmed by the hostage situation at the Gotham City First National Bank. No crimes this organized had been committed in weeks. They sped down the road, and in less than five minutes, they arrived at the scene. Batman rolled a small charge at the door, and it detonated, causing the great glass doors to shatter.

They heard a voice call out from inside the bank. "Who's there?" it said. "I'm warning you, show yourselves. If you don't, this little girl is getting a bullet to the brain."

"Oh no she's not!" Robin called, and he and Batman darted in. Immediately they noticed that the 'little girl' was, in fact, Natalia, and that she was being held at gunpoint by a man nearly twice her size. Her weak smile upon seeing them pained Robin.

Immediately, the smaller man fired a shot at Batman. He dodged, and the pair ran up to fight. The man holding Natalia seemed confused, and he loosened his grip on her for a second. She struggled to escape her captor. Robin wanted to help, but he knew that the man they were fighting was a bigger threat.

Just as he and Batman took the man down, a woman screamed. The duo whipped around. Natalia had just managed to escape, and she was now standing, hands held above her head. The larger man had his gun trained on her chest.

He fired.

**Are you children happy now? You got a little action, and a longer(ish) chapter. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Really short chapter, sorry.**

**DG**

Robin watched as Natalia dove out of the way and Batman tackled the thug. He thought she was safe, and so joined the fight. After just a minute or so, the large thug was down for the count.

Batman and Robin turned back to the hostages. Immediately, they realized that Natalia was not okay. The bullet had hit her in the shoulder.

Robin crouched down beside her and examined the wound. It seemed that the bullet had only grazed her shoulder, but she had still lost quite a bit of blood. As the hostages were escorted out by the police, Robin turned to Batman.

"She needs help," Robin said.

Batman nodded. "She can get some, at the hospital. Come on. We have to go."

Robin shook his head. "No, Batman. I'm worried about what might happen to her. She might not be okay. Plus, I've heard some nasty rumors about Miss Abigail's, and I'm worried about what might happen if they have to pay for her hospital bill. We're going to need to take her."

Batman scowled, but Robin stood firm. After a few seconds of silent arguing, Batman sighed.

"Fine, Robin. But just this one time."

Together they lifted Natalia as gently as they could and placed her in the back of the Batmobile. Robin slid in next to her and placed her head on his lap. He grabbed a towel and applied some pressure to the wound. Natalia was unconscious, but a quiet groan escaped her lips.

"Don't worry, Natalia," Robin whispered. "You're going to be fine." With that, the Batmobile sped off to Wayne Manor.

**That didn't even deserve to be called a chapter...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys! Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I was sick. Here's Chapter 10! I'll probably post some more later. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. It either belongs to DC or Starkid. I own Natalia, the plot, and just about nothing else.**

**NJ**

Natalia opened her eyes. She was in a very dark, quiet place, lying in a bed more comfortable than any she could remember. Where was she? The last thing she could remember was going to the bank...

The bank. Of course. How could she forget? The hostage situation, Batman and Robin, and everything else... Hadn't she been shot?

Natalia turned her head a fraction to the right. She could just see the white gauze bandage that covered her shoulder. She tried to move. It hurt like hell.

"Please, don't move," a voice said from not too far away. "It may start to bleed again. The wound isn't deep at all, and should be better soon, but it will still bleed quite a bit."

"Who is that?" Natalia asked. The darkness of whatever room she was in made it so she could not see.

"It's me, Robin." He walked into her line of vision. "Batman had to leave, but I've been keeping an eye on you."

"Where am I?"

"I'm sorry. You're in the Batcave. I can't tell you anything more than that."

As her eyes adjusted, she noticed the high ceiling and the rows of bat-weapons lining the walls. So this was the famed Batcave. But why was she here?

"Why am I here, Robin?" she asked. "Why am I not at the hospital? I was shot, wasn't I? I'm not crazy?"

Robin looked uncomfortable. "Well, yes, you were shot, so you're not crazy. As to why you're here, well... I-We were worried. We wanted to make sure you were okay, and we knew that the orphanage head might get upset when she found out you were in the hospital. Plus we figured that she didn't know why you were at the bank, and that you would want to keep it that way, so... Yeah."

Natalia smiled a tiny bit. "It's good to know that you two care about Gotham's citizens so much." She thought about what Robin had said about Miss Amelia. "You were right not to tell her. She's... not exactly the nicest person. In fact, she's completely horrible. Wait, but, how long have I been here? What does she think happened?"

"It's been about a day since you were hurt. Batman and I went to see her yesterday, in civilian clothes of course, and told her that you had been kidnapped. She didn't seem too concerned," he added, seemingly upset.

"It's fine," Natalia said. "I don't mind. She's a heartless old hag. All she cares about is money."

Robin still looked a little upset, but continued. "Yes, she seemed to be. I've just let Batman know that you've woken up. He's probably talking to her now. We agreed that we would tell her that you were injured in the kidnapping. She shouldn't ask too many questions about your injury."

Natalia nodded. "That's good. When am I going to have to go back?"

"Tomorrow morning. We decided it would be best for you to rest for at least two days."

Natalia yawned. "I think I'll rest some more. Thank you so much for being so kind." She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

**DG**

Robin looked at Natalia's sleeping form. Thank god she was all right.

He leaned forward and whispered, "It was nothing." He gently smoothed her hair off of her face and lightly kissed her forehead. He smiled, leaned back, and continued to read.

**Aw! Dick's got a crush! It's kind of weird to me though, as I'm picturing Nick Lang kissing a blonde, taller, younger version of Lauren Lopez... But whatever. That's my weird brain for ya!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the late update today, guys. I had an... Interesting day at school (let's just say it's exam week and senior prank day) and I came home and slept for about four hours... But anyway, here's the next chapter. I'll try to post some extras over the weekend**

**NJ**

Natalia woke up suddenly. For a moment she was confused as to where she was, then she remembered again. She sighed and tried to move her shoulder. It still hurt, but it felt a tiny bit better than what she assumed had been yesterday. She pushed herself up and saw a small tray of food sitting on the table beside her. She wolfed it down, having not realized how hungry she really was until she had seen it. After finishing, she leaned back slightly into her pillows, careful not to jostle her shoulder, and closed her eyes.

Not five minutes later she heard voices drifting toward her.

"Is she awake?" a voice she recognized as Batman's asked.

"Yes, I believe so," said another voice, Robin. "I noticed her stirring a bit not long ago and came to tell you."

Their voices were growing ever louder. Natalia opened her eyes again and waited. As the pair walked in, she smiled.

"Hello!" she called.

They walked over. "Well, someone's chipper today," said Robin.

"Yes, hungry too, it seems," added Batman.

Natalia laughed. "Well, I haven't eaten for a while, have I?" She now noticed that both of them were wearing civilian clothes and large, dark sunglasses. "I'm guessing it's time to go back?" Batman nodded.

Natalia sighed. She carefully slid out of bed and stood. She wobbled, feeling faint. Robin's arm shot out and steadied her.

"Here," he said, holding out a small bag. "We got some clothes for you to change into. We weren't sure what sizes, so we guessed. Let me help you to the restroom."

Natalia gripped Robin's arm tightly, and ever so slowly they made their way over to the restroom. Natalia carefully shut the door behind her and examined her reflection.

She looked horrible. Her hair was a giant rats' nest and she had bags under her eyes. She ran her fingers through her hair and threw it up in a messy bun. She quickly changed into the casual clothes supplied by the duo and slid out the door.

"I'm ready to go," she said.

"Perfect," said Batman. "We'll be taking the normal car, not the Batmobile. It'll take a little longer, but we can't be noticed. Also, Natalia, we'll have to blindfold you for part of the way. I'm sorry, but you can't know where we are."

Natalia nodded, and a strip of black cloth was tied over her eyes. She grabbed Robin's hand and allowed herself to be led outside.

**DG**

It was silent in the car. Natalia was still blindfolded, as they weren't far enough away from Wayne Manor for it to be safe for the blindfold to be removed. Robin sat next to her, watching her intently. He could tell she was thinking, but about what, he had no clue. He was worried, as she still looked too pale, but he knew she had to go back to the orphanage. Maybe he'd see her again sometime. He could only hope.

Batman spoke up from the driver's seat. "All right, Robin, you can take her blindfold off now."

He carefully untied it, making sure he didn't accidentally pull her hair. Once it was off, she turned and smiled at him.

"Thanks for helping me again," she said. "I don't know why you keep doing it, but I really do appreciate it a lot."

"No problem," answered Robin as they pulled up to the building. "It was our pleasure."

Batman parked the small car in front of the orphanage. Robin hopped out immediately and opened Natalia's door, holding out his hand. She took it and slowly slid out of the car, shutting the door behind her. The three proceeded to walk up the pathway to the front door, and entered the small building.

As soon as they walked in the doors, Robin heard a woman's voice. He recognized it immediately as that of Miss Amelia.

"Thank you, sirs, for returning Miss Jordyn to me," she said, her voice dripping with false sincerity. "I'm sorry for all of the trouble she's caused you. I'll just take her off of your hands now." With that, the short, toad-like woman grabbed Natalia's right arm and yanked her over to stand behind her. Natalia whimpered and cradled her shoulder, and Robin was filled with rage. However, he kept his cool and remained polite.

"Miss Amelia," he said, his voice shaking imperceptibly, "you cannot forget that Natalia's right shoulder was badly injured. It will not be fully healed for at least two weeks. You must be careful."

Miss Amelia glared at him, but dropped Natalia's arm. "Of course," she said. "Forgive me. We must be going."

"Very well," said Batman. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jordyn. Please take care."

Batman and Robin turned away. As they walked outside, back to the car, Robin saw Natalia being dragged into Miss Amelia's office by the warden herself. He made a move to go back in, but was stopped by Batman.

"She'll be all right, Dick," he said. "She's tough."

Robin pulled his arm out of Batman's grasp. "No, she won't be fine. That place is horrible. You wouldn't know. You've never had to live in one. "

Batman backed up slightly. "No, I haven't, Dick. I'm sorry. Let's just go back to the manor. I promise, she'll be out soon."

**Ooh, what's Batman planning? IT SHALL NEVER BE REVEALED! I'm serious though, the story ends here...**

**Nah, I'm not that evil. UNTIL NEXT CHAPTER, MY FELLOW INTERWEBBERS!**


	12. Chapter 12

**NJ**

Two and a half weeks had passed since the day Natalia had returned to the orphanage. She sat on her cot in the dorms. She was still temporarily excused from the hardest chores, but as she still wasn't in perfect condition, she was unable to dance. She had absolutely nothing to do.

Natalia rolled and stretched her shoulder. There was still a tiny bit of pain, but it was almost completely healed. After a few moments, she found herself thinking about Robin yet again. Had she only dreamed that he had kissed her forehead the day after she was shot? She had been so sure that it was real...

Natalia was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of the door opening. She turned to see Miss Amelia standing in the doorway.

"You have a visitor, Jordyn!" she barked. "He's coming in now." She stood back from the door, and an elderly man shuffled in. Natalia stood and helped him to a chair as Miss Amelia slammed the door shut.

Natalia sat down on her cot, across from the man.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Natalia Grace Jordyn."

"I know," the old man said. "My name is Alfred Pennyworth."

Natalia broke in. "Bruce Wayne's butler, right?"

Mr. Pennyworth smiled. "Yes, that I am. You see, Master Bruce has been thinking lately, and he thinks Master Richard needs a companion his own age. That way, if he ever has to travel, Master Richard will have someone to talk to. He informed me that Master Richard seemed to take a liking to you at the ballet your company performed. I believe you played Robin?" Natalia nodded. "Yes, well, Master Richard enjoyed your performance quite a lot. He thought you seemed very nice, and he wished to get to know you better. Master Bruce was wondering, would you like to come live with us at Wayne Manor?"

Natalia was shocked. "Mr. Pennyworth, d-did you just say he wants to a-adopt me?" she stammered.

Mr. Pennyworth smiled. "Please, miss, call me Alfred. And yes, Master Bruce would like to adopt you. He told me to tell you that he promises that he won't ever make you come back here. He's a very nice, very smart man, as is Master Richard. Don't trust everything you see in papers."

He started to speak again, but Natalia broke in.

"Oh thank you, thank you so much!" she exclaimed, hugging the old man tightly. "This means so much to me! I've been waiting to leave this place for eight years! I promise Mr. Wayne won't regret this!"

Alfred stood. "Well," he said, "grab your things. I will be signing papers out front with Miss Amelia. Come out once you have finished, and then we will go to the manor."

Natalia flew about the room, gathering various things of hers that had somehow migrated to a few other girls' beds. As she packed, a group of girls walked in. One of them, a tall, dark, sixteen year old named Rachel, spoke to Natalia.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "Why are you packing?"

Natalia stopped for a moment and beamed at her. "I've been adopted!" she cried.

The girls all screamed. "Oh my god, who?" screeched a petite blonde named Susanna.

Natalia grinned, if possible, even wider. "Bruce Wayne!"

The girls squealed and engulfed her in a hug.

"Oh my god!" one shrieked. "You'll get to meet him! In person!"

As the hug broke apart, one girl, Brooke, struck a would-be sexy pose and said, "Oh, yes, and Dick Grayson, too! Oh, I can see it now - 'Oh Dick, I love you so much, you're so amazing and wonderful and sexy and hot and brilliant and-'" She was cut off by another girl tackling her, and the pair fell to the floor in a fit of giggles.

As Natalia finished packing, all of the girls grew solemn. As she carefully placed the photograph of her and her family at the top of her bag and zipped it shut, she felt a small pair of arms wrap around her legs. It was five year old Reilly, one of the youngest kids who lived at Miss Abigail's. She was loved by everyone for her sweet nature, and had always thought of Natalia as a mother. Natalia picked her up and set her on a cot.

"Please don't go," Reilly whispered. "You're the best mama I've ever had."

Natalia smiled, holding back the tears pricking the corners of her eyes, and hugged the little girl. She pulled back and looked directly into her eyes.

"Reilly, I will miss you very much, too. I promise I will visit as soon as I am eighteen, since the silly rules say I can't come until then." Reilly started crying, and Natalia wiped the tears off her face. "Don't cry, sweetheart. You have plenty of mamas right here. We all love you. Isn't that right?"

All of the girls nodded and smiled, calling "We love you!" at Reilly. The little girl stopped sniffling.

"Here, Reilly," Natalia said, "I have to go now, but here. Brooke is gonna be one of your new mamas now, okay?" The little girl nodded, and Brooke swung her up onto her shoulders. She tickled Reilly's feet, and the girl giggled.

Natalia made one more trip around the room, passing out hugs and promising to visit as soon as she could. After a good fifteen minutes, she stepped out the door, immediately seeing Alfred.

"Ready to go, Miss Natalia?" He asked.

"Ready as ever, Alfred," she replied.

With that, the pair strode off to the car. Natalia never once glanced back.

**OH. MY. GOD. I actually own people other than Natalia in this chapter! Even though they're as of right now only mentioned this one time... I'll make an effort to work them into the end of the story SOMEWHERE. If they don't fit, maybe I'll write a one-shot about the orphanage kids after I finish with this. ANYWAY, pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty please review! If you have any requests, I will try to work them in. Since I've already written most of the story it could be hard, but I promise I will try. Any constructive criticism is VERY welcome. Thanks!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here's the next chapter! As always, please review!**

**NJ**

Natalia was extremely nervous. It felt just like when she would go onstage; butterflies and all their friends performing a crazy salsa in her stomach. As Wayne Manor loomed into view, she began to shake slightly. Though she had already met her new family, she was still petrified.

Alfred noticed her nervousness. "I promise," he said, "they don't bite. There's no need to be nervous. Since they already know you, you're past the dreaded first impression. Master Bruce likes you; that's why he invited you to live with him and Master Richard."

Natalia nodded. "I think I'll feel better once I've fully realized that this is real. It all feels like a dream. I keep waiting to wake up and realize that none of this ever happened. Once I've accepted it, I think I'll be okay."

"I understand," said Alfred as they pulled into the car's place. "It looks like we've arrived." He and Natalia stepped out of the car.

Natalia stared up at the behemoth of a building. Thousands upon thousands of stairs led up to a house surely larger than any other place in the world. She followed Alfred up the steps, feeling more and more intimidated. As they entered the manor, Natalia gasped. The entrance hall was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. She turned slowly, taking in the scene.

"Miss Natalia," said Alfred, "Id you would stay here for just a moment, please. I will go get Master Bruce."

Natalia sunk into a plush chair and admired the view through one of the many large windows. A few minutes later, she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

She turned and beamed. Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, her newfound family.

**DG**

Bruce pounded on Dick's door. After a few moments, Dick threw the door open.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Come downstairs with me," said Bruce. "I have a surprise for you."

"What kind of surprise?" asked Dick, intrigued.

Bruce turned and walked down the stairs. "Just wait; you'll find out soon," he said.

Dick followed him. Bruce stopped just outside of the entrance hall and stood back slightly to let him enter first.

"Your surprise is in there," he said with a small smile on his face. "You can thank me later."

Dick walked into the hall. He didn't notice anything at first, but then he caught a small bit of movement out of the corner of his eye. A girl was sitting in one of the chairs, looking out one of the windows. His heart started beating faster the moment he realized that it was Natalia.

Dick remained where he was for a few seconds, unable to say a word and confused as to why she was there. Bruce walked up beside him and cleared his throat.

Natalia whirled around, and as she did, a huge smile lit up her face.

"Hello, Natalia," said Bruce. "I know this is on short notice, but I'm glad to see that you agreed."

Dick was still confused. "Agreed to what, might I ask?" he said.

Natalia looked confused for a moment. "I thought you and Dick both agreed on this. Does he not know? If he's not okay with it, I'll happily leave..." she said, trailing off toward the end of the sentence. Dick saw the look on her face and knew that she certainly wouldn't be happy if she left.

"I'm sure he's perfectly fine with it," said Bruce, "but yes, this is a little surprise for him. Dick," he said, turning to him, "Natalia's going to live with us here."

Dick was shocked, but soon became completely ecstatic. A smile slid across his face.

"That's wonderful!" he exclaimed as he turned to Natalia. "Welcome to the family!"

She grinned and pushed herself up from the chair.

"It means a lot to me," she said, "that you barely know me, but would still do this. I don't think you can understand how excited I am right now!"

"Well," said Bruce, "it's great to know that you're happy to be here. Your room will be across the hall and three doors down from Dick's. He'll show you the way. Oh, and once you've gotten settled in, come back downstairs. Dick and I have something very important to tell you."

Natalia nodded. Dick grabbed her hand, carefully avoiding her right one, and led her up the stairs.

**Yeah... I didn't really know how best to write this, and it's not my best work, but at least it got the job done. It'll do for now. **


	14. Chapter 14

**NJ**

Dick led Natalia upstairs. She noticed that he grabbed her left hand and not her right. Perhaps he had noticed her favoring her right arm a tiny bit. Either way, she certainly appreciated it.

"So," said Dick, "welcome to Wayne Manor! What do you think?"

"I think," Natalia said slowly, "I think that it's absolutely wonderful. Huge, yes, but at least I'm not here alone!"

Dick laughed. "Yeah, it is pretty big. I promise you'll get used to it. You shouldn't get lost more than once," he said with a smile. They reached a hallway, doors lining either side. "This is my room," he said, pointing to a door on the left, "and this is yours."

Dick pushed open the door and leaned back to let Natalia enter. She walked in and gasped. It was like stepping into a dream. The room was decorated in black, white, and teal, and two of the four walls were lined with bookshelves. The far wall held a huge floor to ceiling window with a window seat perfect for reading on. A small chandelier hung from the ceiling, throwing light on the scene. A huge bed graced the room with its presence, and Natalia ran forward and flopped face first onto it.

"This... is amazing!" she squealed, her voice slightly muffled. She flipped over and jumped off the bed. "I love all the books! And the window! And everything else! It's so wonderful!" She bounded up off the bed and hugged Dick tightly. Somewhat surprised, it was a moment before he hugged back.

"So..." he said, "I guess you like it?"

"Like it?" she said incredulously. "It's brilliant! I love it! This place is fantastic!"

Dick grinned. "I'll be downstairs with Bruce," he said. "Like he said, once you're settled in, come down please." He walked out and shut the door behind him.

Natalia flew about, folding her clothes as quickly as she could and placing them carefully into one of the dressers. She walked to the closet, her lone dress draped over her arm, threw open the doors, and gasped. It wasn't just a small closet, as she had expected, but a huge walk-in. There was even a bathroom off to one side! She looked around the walls and saw that they were full of brand-new clothes. How much this had to have cost, she couldn't begin to imagine. She was simply happy that she was there.

After going through all of her new things, her OCD tendencies causing her to organize them by item and color, she walked back into the main bedroom, beaming. She reached into her small duffel bag and pulled out one last thing. It was the picture of her, Jason, and their parents. She walked over to the nightstand and saw that there was a small empty picture frame sitting on top.

Carefully, she unclasped the back and slid the photo into the frame. Set gently set it back on the table. She knew that moving here was somewhat bittersweet. On the one hand, she had finally left Miss Amelia's for good. But on the other hand, she felt like she was saying goodbye to her family by gaining a new one. She knew that that was crazy. She could never forget her parents, or her brother. But still, she was a little sad.

Natalia kissed her fingertips and touched her fingertips to the faces of each of her family members.

"I love you," she whispered, too low for anyone else to hear. With that, she turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

**Wow... I did a horrible job describing her room... Sad because that's what I'm designing my room to look like... As always, please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Yeah, I'm bad at updating at reasonable times... Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

**NJ**

Natalia walked back downstairs to find no one. After only a moment, Alfred walked up.

"Ah, Miss Natalia," he said, "Master Bruce and Master Dick are in here. Follow me, please." He shuffled off toward yet another room, Natalia close behind. "Here you go," he said. "I must go take care of something, but they should be just inside."

"Thanks, Alfred," said Natalia. Alfred walked off, and Natalia entered the room. It was a large but cozy sitting room, with a fireplace crackling on the far wall, and plush couches circled around. She noticed Bruce and Dick sat next to each other on the largest couch, whispering intently to one another. She didn't want to interrupt, but she felt weird just sitting and watching them talk.

"I'm done putting my things away," she said. Both men jumped, startled by her sudden appearance.

"Natalia!" Bruce said. "Come here. Do you like your room?"

"It's absolutely amazing," she said. "I love it. Now, what did you two need to tell me?"

"Can you keep a secret?" Dick asked, mimicking the way she had asked that when they had first met.

Natalia scoffed. "Of course I can," she said. "If I can keep a secret in a crowded orphanage, I can keep one here."

"Natalia, he's serious," said Bruce. "We need to know that no matter what, you will never tell this to anyone."

Natalia nodded. This sounded serious.

"Well, here goes nothing," said Dick. "Natalia, you know how people are saying that Bruce and I are friends with Batman and Robin?" Natalia nodded slowly, not sure she knew where this was going.

"That's because, well," said Bruce, "we're them."

Natalia sat and stared for a moment. She wasn't sure she could believe them.

"Prove it," she said. "I can't believe that unless you somehow prove it to me. It's too bizarre."

Bruce-Batman?- nodded. He led Natalia into what she assumed was a study, which for some reason had a piano in the corner. Dick followed them in.

Bruce walked over to the piano and played a short series of dissonances. The second he finished, a large bookcase on the far wall slid silently to the side, revealing a hidden elevator. Natalia's eyes widened as she was led into the elevator by Dick. Bruce pressed a small button, and they shot downward. Within a few moments, the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. Natalia stepped out into a cool, dark tunnel. She recognized it from somewhere, but wasn't sure where.

"This way," said Bruce, startling her. She turned and followed him, Dick directly behind her. They entered a large cavern, its walls lined with computer screens and non-lethal weapons. She realized where she was immediately.

"The Batcave," Natalia breathed. She stood, frozen in shock. "It's true."

"Yup," said Dick. He walked over and threw open a set of double doors. A dozen or so Batman and Robin costumes were hanging from the walls. "These are our costumes." Natalia walked up and examined one of the Robin outfits. It was one hundred percent real, and she was sure of it.

Bruce pressed a button, and a futuristic high-tech car came into the view.

"That's the Batmobile," he said. "And these," he waved his arm at the wall of weapons, "are the batarangs, grappling hooks, bat nunchucks, and our other tools."

"I know it's a bit much to to take in," said Dick, "but if you're going to stay with us, you need to know."

Natalia felt faint. "So," she said slowly, "you're telling me that it was you guys that saved me in that alley? You stopped that bank robbery? You helped me after I was shot? All this time, it was you two?" Bruce and Dick both nodded. "Wow... this is... this is weird. I can't believe that they're you! Or, you're them! This is kind of strange."

Dick chuckled. "It isn't kind of strange, it's really strange, Natalia."

Bruce nodded. "We had to make sure that you knew. That way, if we have to go fight crime, Alfred won't constantly have to make excuses as to why we left."

Natalia stared at him. "Surely you don't expect me to just sit around while you save the city, do you?" she asked, incredulous. "I'm not completely helpless, you know. I can help."

"Well, the thing is," Bruce said, "you haven't been properly trained, you seem to have a knack for trouble, and -" Natalia cut him off.

"First things first," she said. "Normally, I don't play the damsel in distress. Most of the time, I either have nothing to do with crime or am saving people from it, though obviously not nearly as often as you guys. Second, I know I'm not trained. The point is, I want to learn. And besides," she said as she turned to face Dick, "you yourself said that I fight well. What's stopping you from letting me fight?"

Bruce and Dick glanced at each other. They both looked a little uncomfortable.

Bruce began to speak. "Well, you see, we don't want you getting hurt, and we can't be sure that you'd be able to keep up with us, even if you were trained... We're not sure if you would be able to do everything necessary, and we don't want anything to happen..." he trailed off. Dick shifted in his seat and remained silent. Natalia stood and put her hands on her hips.

"You two need to rethink that decision. I'm a dancer; I'm able to react just as fast as the pair of you, and I'm quite strong. I don't know how to handle weapons, but trust me, I'm a fast leaner. Once I know how to fight and defend myself, I won't be getting into trouble as much. See how your reasons are falling apart? I'm just going to go back up to my room, and I expect the pair of you to have made a decision soon. Just come and tell me when you have." She felt awful that she was being so rude to the people that had just adopted her, but she was furious. She moved to walk away, but Dick grabbed her arm.

"Natalia, we can't let you fight," he said as Bruce stood. "Why can't you accept that?"

Natalia wrenched her arm out of his grasp. "I'm sorry, but unless you can make me understand why that is, I'm going to want to. Sorry." She turned to walk to the elevator, but was stopped again by the sound of Bruce's voice.

"Natalia Jordyn, I forbid you from fighting," he said. Natalia whirled around, and her anger shone on her face, clear as day.

"Why?" she asked. "I need a valid reason why."

"Because."

She turned around and started to walk away. "That's not good enough."

Bruce spluttered in anger. He called the first thing he could think of at her retreating form.

"I'll make you go back."

Dick stared at him, appalled. Natalia paused and spoke.

"You know you wouldn't do that. You swore you wouldn't. Besides, Dick would never let you." With that, she walked over to the lift, slammed her palm on the button she figured would activate it, and rode it up to the manor. She stalked up to her new room and sat down on the window seat, grabbing the first book she saw off the nearest shelf.

She looked at the cover. It was To Kill A Mockingbird. Her parents' old favorite. She half-smiled, bittersweet memories flooding her mind, and began to read.

**So, a few things. **

**In case you haven't figured this out, Natalia is vaguely based off me and my friend (like if we had a child who was more athletic-y and talented than the two of us combined), so she has possibly one of the shortest tempers in the world. She's all right usually, but if you get on her nerves, you need to watch your back. **

**There might have been a fourteen hour Batman movie marathon on ABC Family a few weeks ago and I might have gotten that piano thing from Batman Begins after watching it something like seven times...**

**So, as I write more of this, I'm beginning to realize that (about 95% of the time, mostly toward the end, anyway) Robin is more like musical Batman and Batman is more like musical Robin. Well, um, it's because, um, he's a teenager! And sorta rebellious and stuff!**

**...**

**She says, trying to glaze over the fact that she's doing something more like writing new characters rather than using the old ones. **

**That's it, my children. Farewell, and until next time, REVIEW PRETTY PLEASE! :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Yeah, so about Natalia's temper again - she's the sort of person who would go completely insane and kill everyone when she's angry, then could be found less than ten minutes later eating chocolate, reading a book, and cuddling with a pillow or something. And feels really awful about what they did. So yeah. That's it. That's all I wanted to say. So BYEEEEEE! No chapter for you!**

**...**

**No, I like you people too much. Read, enjoy, and review!**

**DG**

Dick watched as Natalia stalked off. "I can't believe you would say something like that," he said to Bruce. "Why? Why would you say that? You know that place is horrible. What possessed you to threaten her like that?"

Bruce turned and sat back down. "Honestly?" he said, "I have no idea. I just... popped out. I didn't think about it. I certainly didn't mean it." They sat in silence for a minute or two, until Dick spoke up.

"She's right, you know," he said. "We really didn't give her any good reasons to not let her join us."

Bruce looked up. "I know we didn't, but still. She can't fight with us. Are you saying you want her to?"

Dick could tell Bruce was getting upset. "No, I don't," he said. "It would kill me if anything was to happen to her. Still, though... She would be a wonderful asset, and it would break her heart if we didn't let her join."

Bruce sighed. "Yes, I know," he said. "It's just... I don't want anything to happen to her, either. What we do is a dangerous line of work. You almost died at the hand of Sweet Tooth. Something like that can't happen again."

"I know, Bruce, but that was five years ago. Besides, Sweet Tooth's dead, Joker's dead, and frankly, I don't think the criminals of Gotham would be up to the challenge of kidnapping her. Especially," he added, "if she was to get proper training."

Bruce looked up at him. "You realize," he said, "that you'll be doing a lot of her training. Of course, if she is to join us, it won't be for a month at least. We have to make sure that she's in the proper condition."

Dick smiled. "Yeah, I'm aware," he said. "Does this mean she can join us?"

"Yes, I suppose so," Bruce said. "I just hate that I gave in so quickly... You go upstairs and bring her back down." He rested his head in his hands. "It's your fault I can't stand my ground any more, Dick. Before I know it, I'll be saying yes to a motorcycle."

A sly grin slid across Dick's face. "Actually, now that you mention it-"

"No," Bruce said. "Absolutely not. You just learned how to drive the Batmobile! Maybe I'll reconsider in a few years, but not now."

"I was just kidding, Bruce," he said. "Although it would be nice to have one... Anyway, I'll go get her." He bounded upstairs and pounded on Natalia's door.

**NJ**

"Come in," Natalia called. She was engrossed in the writings of Harper Lee, and didn't react until she felt someone sit on the seat beside hers.

She looked up and saw Dick. She turned back to her book, but still said, "Oh, hey."

"Natalia, we've made a decision," he announced. She snapped To Kill A Mockingbird shut and looked up at him.

"Well?" she asked.

"Bruce wants you to come downstairs with me so we can tell you together."

"All right," she said. As she followed him back to the Batcave, she spoke again. "Listen, Dick, I'm sorry I was rude before. Sometimes, when I'm upset, I get to be like that. My mom actually used to call me her little firecracker."

Dick smiled. "That's all right," he said. "You really weren't that bad. You should've seen Bruce five years ago. I wasn't there, but Alfred said Bruce threw a giant tantrum and destroyed almost half of the Batcave."

Natalia chuckled. "And what, exactly, would prompt him to do that?"

"I was kidnapped," said Dick quietly.

"Oh god, Dick, I'm sorry," Natalia said. "I completely forgot. I'm so, so sorry..."

"It's fine," said Dick, facing straight forward. "It's not your fault." They rode the elevator down to the Batcave in silence. Dick was lost in thought, and Natalia had to nudge him when they reached the landing. They stepped out of the elevator and made their way toward the main area. Upon arriving, Dick and Natalia sat, Natalia across from him and Bruce.

"Well?" she asked. "Have you rethought your decision?"

Bruce cleared his throat. "You have to swear to us, Natalia, that you really mean business. You can't just want to be a hero so you can galavant about the town and save people. You need to really want it, have the hunger for justice. Do you?

"Yes."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Natalia thought back to the night her family had been murdered. The malicious grin of the crook, the sound of gunshots, and her family, lying dead around her, had been etched in her mind for the past eight years. As she thought, she was filled with sadness, but also a quiet rage. She had to stop something like that from happening to anyone else.

She nodded. "Positive."

"Well then," Dick said with a grin, "welcome to the team!"

"You'll have to have a disguise, of course," said Bruce, "preferably keeping with the theme of flight. Any ideas?"

Natalia thought for a moment, and then a perfect idea popped into her brain.

"I'll be Mockingbird," she said. No sooner had the words left her mouth than Bruce turned and began typing very fast on the Batcave's supercomputer.

"Why Mockingbird?" asked Dick.

"Well," she said, "To Kill A Mockingbird was my family's favorite book. My parents would read it to me before bed all the time. I think it'll just remind remind me what I'm fighting for each time I put it on."

Dick nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I picked Robin for a similar reason," he said.

Bruce whirled around in his chair. "How's this for your Mockingbird costume?" he asked.

Natalia leaned forward and looked at the screen. There was a 3D diagram of a superhero costume in the center of the screen. It was a skintight suit with short pants. The costume was black, with small swirls of white going down the sides. A wide white utility belt rested on the waist. The cape fell to the upper thigh, black with a bright white stripe on the underside. On the right side of the outfit's chest, there was a small insignia of a mockingbird's shadow. The suit came complete with white-tipped gloves and knee-high white Converse. The mask was a sparkling black number with white on the corners, making it look like a pair of wings.

Natalia gasped. "It's wonderful," she breathed. "Bruce, how did you design this so quickly?"

"I took a few ideas from your costume for the ballet you did, changed it around a tad, and made it different colors." When Bruce mentioned the ballet, Natalia jumped.

"Oh, crap!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe I forgot! I won't be able to take dance any more, will I? I have to go talk to Ms. Travis!"

"No, I suppose you won't be able to take classes any more," said Dick. "Hey Bruce, do you mind if Natalia and I walk down to the city? The studio isn't too far away, and we'll definitely be back before dark." Natalia looked at Bruce, her eyes pleading.

"I suppose so," he grumbled. "Be sure to be back as soon as possible. Your training is going to begin tomorrow at eight."

Natalia smiled and hugged Bruce. He stiffened for a moment, but quickly relaxed and hugged her back.

"I'm sorry I was rude earlier," she said.

"It's all right," said Bruce, patting her on the back. "Go talk to your dance teacher."

Natalia and Dick grinned and bounded off together.

**Awwwww! Natalia and Dick, sitting in a tree, probably forty chapters till they're kissing! He he he! I enjoy making you people wait!**


	17. Chapter 17

**I'M SO HAPPY! My phone deleted this entire chapter and pieces of others, BUT since I sent my friend the first couple dozen chapters a few weeks ago, SHE HAD IT SAVED! Long story short, y'all won't get the crappy version. **

**Oh, and as this week is exam week, updates will be few and far between. Even almost/after midnight updates such as this one. I'll try to squeeze a few extras in, though, since there's almost no chance of you getting an update this weekend, as I'm going on a mid-exam week retreat sort of thing. Anyway, ENJOY THE GOSH DARNED STORY!**

**NJ**

After walking for a short while, Natalia and Dick reached CT&ST Dance Academy. They walked in, and Natalia strode over to the front desk as Dick followed.

"Ms. Cyndi?" she called. "It's Natalia Jordyn... I have to talk to you... Hello?"

"Maybe they're not here," Dick suggested. "We could always come back later."

"No, she should be here," Natalia said. "I think I hear people in there. Let's check it out." She lead the way to the door of the main studio, knocked, and slowly pushed it open. She noticed that her class was gathered around Ms. Cyndi and a strange man, but was quickly swarmed by friends asking where she had been, what was she doing, why hadn't she been at the studio, and other such questions. Dick stood just inside the door, his arms folded over his chest, looking somewhat uncomfortable. After a few minutes, Natalia disentangled herself and walked up to Cyndi and the unknown man, Dick right behind her.

"Hello, Miss Jordyn!" Cyndi called. "Look who it is!" She gestured at the man beside her, a huge smile on her face.

Natalia looked at the stranger more closely. He was tall, nearly six feet, and had slightly curled blond hair. He too had a large smile on his face, and she felt like she recognized him from somewhere, as if he was a person from a dream.

"Um, is that Mr. Travis?" she asked. She had never met him, as he had gone missing before she had joined the studio, but based off Cyndi's excitement, she thought it could be true.

"Yes it is," the man said, "and you must be my wife's favorite, Miss Natalia Jordyn." She blushed at the compliment. "Pleased to finally meet you." He held out his hand, and Natalia shook it. She noticed a large, shiny burn on the back of his other hand, but tried not to stare. Still, he noticed her looking at it, and shook his sleeve down to cover it.

"Got it a few years ago," he said, flashing another huge smile. "Let's just say, spending time with that Sweet Tooth was just no fun."

Ms. Cyndi glanced at him. "Who is this you've brought with you, might I ask?" she said.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" said Natalia. "This is Dick Grayson." Dick shook both Travis' hands with a smile. "He's part of why I'm here. You see, I've been adopted!"

"That's lovely, Natalia!" Cyndi said. Congratulations were called out from all around the room. After it was quiet again, Natalia continued.

"The thing is, I'm not going to be able to take class here any more." Many of the students looked crestfallen. "It just wasn't working out. I'm really sorry, but there's no way I can keep coming here."

Cyndi nodded, and wrapped Natalia into a huge hug. "We'll all miss you, Natalia," she said.

"I'll miss you guys too," said Natalia. "A lot."

**DG**

Dick watched as Natalia and Cyndi Travis embraced. He felt awkward. He didn't know anyone here, and he felt like something was wrong. Natalia broke free of the hug and stood back beside him.

Mr. Travis spoke up. "Nice to meet you, Natalia. You too, Dick." For some strange reason, his smile made Dick feel uneasy. He wasn't sure why, but he wasn't sure Samuel Travis was as nice of a man as he seemed.

"It was nice to meet you all," Dick said, "but we must go. We promised we would be back before dark, and it's getting late now." Natalia said goodbye to all of her friends and hugged about a million people, so it was almost fifteen minutes until they were able to leave. As they walked down the streets of Gotham, Dick voiced his unease to Natalia.

"Natalia," he said slowly, "Was it just me, or did something seem kind of... strange about Cyndi's husband?"

"Well, you have to give the poor guy some slack," she said quietly. "He's been missing for over five years. He disappeared just before Sweet Tooth started terrorizing Gotham."

"Oh, all right," he said. "I guess that makes sense."

Together, they walked back to Wayne Manor.

**?**

Later that night, well after Natalia and Dick had arrived home, a man sat in a small apartment, located in the middle of the city. He was stroking a long, curved, red and white striped cane, a manic glint in his eye.

"Get ready, Gotham," he whispered. "Before long, I'll be up to my old... Twix..."

He chuckled, quietly at first, then louder, insanity tainting the edges of his voice. He was coming back, and no one would be able to stop him this time.

**OMG NEW POV! WHO COULD IT BE, MY CHILDREN?! When shall it be revealed to you? Why doesn't Dick totally trust Sam? What's with the burn? What's gonna happen next? Why am I asking all these questions?... I really don't know. BYE!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry I haven't updated for a while! I had exams and stupid crap like that... Like I said before, there's about a 0.00000000000000001% chance of that happening. If you're lucky. **

**Before we begin, I know NOTHING about training regimens. Sorry if I get everything wrong. Also, a scorpion is a dance move. If you watch Dance Moms, Brooke often does it. It's where a dancer takes their leg in both hands and extends it directly behind them. It's a REALLY good leg stretch. Take my word for it. **

**Disclaimer: I still own... *counts on fingers...* nothing.**

**NJ**

Natalia woke up the next morning, refreshed and ready for training. She threw on some workout clothes and flew downstairs to find Alfred, soon spotting him in the entrance hall.

"Good morning, Alfred!" she called.

"Good morning, Miss Natalia," he replied.

"Do you know where I'm supposed to go for training? I'm not sure that Bruce and Dick are up yet."

"Well, I imagine you'll be training in the Batcave. There's a room with exercise equipment just inside the entrance. Most likely, that is where they would be."

"Thanks, Alfred!" Natalia jogged into the kitchen, grabbed an apple, and walked toward the main study. It took her a few tries, but she eventually managed to get the correct combination of notes. She rode the elevator down, entering the first unlocked door she found.

Natalia walked into a large room, brightly lit compared to the rest of the Batcave. It was full of exercise equipment, along with a trapeze and some gymnastics equipment. She began stretching and warming up, doing the same things she would usually do at the studio. Around five minutes after she had arrived, as she was practicing her scorpion, Bruce and Dick walked in.

"Someone's here early," said Dick.

"Yeah, well," Natalia began as she finished the stretch, "like Cyndi would always say: 'fifteen minutes early is on time. Any other time is late.'**(Yes, my dance teacher ALWAYS says this. Even though she's always late)**" She grinned. "I figured I would just come in and get warmed up."

Bruce scowled. "How, exactly, did you get in? Did Alfred let you in?"

"No," she responded. "I have ears, you know. When you played the code to get in the other day, I tried to remember it as best as I could. It took me a few minutes, but I figured it out."

Bruce turned away. "It's time to start training. We're testing your strength first."

"Are you sure your shoulder is completely healed?" Dick asked, concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is," she replied. "I've been stretching it out for a while, and it hasn't bothered me."

Bruce nodded and spoke. "Since your shoulder isn't bothering you, we'll start with you climbing that rope." He handed her a pair of gloves. "After it has been made, which should be by tomorrow, you will train in your Mockingbird costume. For now, use these to keep from tearing up your hands." Natalia slipped the long gloves on and began to shimmy up the rope. It didn't take her too long; maybe seven minutes or so **(Never done this either, so I don't know how long it takes)**. Once she had reached the top, she slid back down the rope, her gloves protecting the palms of her hands.

"That was pretty good," said Dick. "You'll need to be able to go a little faster, though, and without using your legs."

Natalia nodded. They moved on to test her agility and flexibility. The years of dance classes had been good to her, and they soon began to test her speed and stamina. Bruce pitted her against Dick and made them run around the small indoor track for a while. While Natalia wasn't quite able to keep up with Dick, she was never too far behind. They continued with the training for hours.


	19. Chapter 19

**Just finished watching The Dark Knight for the first time... I was hoping Two Face wouldn't creep me out too much because I can't get the picture of Chris with the stupid little mask doing his annoying Two Face voice out of my head. Yeah, his burnt away face will fuel my nightmares for weeks. And Heath Ledger... Just... Just Heath Ledger... God I love that man... He earned every ounce of respect he got from that performance...**

**NJ**

Later that night, just before supper, Natalia laid on her bed, utterly exhausted. After they had tested her speed, Bruce had begun to teach her some basic combat skills. She was very light on her feet and already knew some of the fundamentals, but she still needed to learn a lot. At the end of the training session, which had been nearly an hour ago, Bruce had stated that he thought that she could be ready to go on patrol in as little as a few weeks. She had been ecstatic at this news, and had practically skipped all the way back to her room. The energy had quickly drained out of her, and she had spent over half an hour just sitting in the bathtub's steaming hot water. She felt a tiny bit more refreshed, but her muscles still ached. She was just starting to drift off when a sharp knock on the door snapped her awake.

"Miss Natalia?" called Alfred softly. Upon hearing Natalia's quiet "Come in," he entered.

"Your costume is ready." He held out a neatly folded black suit. Natalia leapt to her feet, her energy restored.

"I believe I am right in saying that Master Bruce and Master Richard would like to see you in that," he said. "They are downstairs in the kitchen." With that, he left.

Natalia pulled on the costume as fast as she could. The moment she had tied the mask securely in place, she rushed into her closet, looked in the full-length mirror, and gasped.

She looked like a completely different person, utterly badass. She looked like the sort of person who was deceptively innocent, but would rip you throat out if you threatened someone dear to her.

She thought it was perfect.

She rushed downstairs, her cape streaming out behind her. Bounding into the kitchen, she struck a pose.

"What do you think?" she asked, bouncing on her toes.

Bruce glanced up from his paper. "Looks fine," he grunted, then continued reading.

"It looks great," said Dick enthusiastically. "It's perfect for your identity. Make sure to wear that to training tomorrow."

Natalia nodded. "I will," she said. "I can't believe that this is actually happening!" She skipped back up the stairs and to her room.

**DG**

Dick smiled as Natalia left. She was radiant in her suit. He knew he wasn't supposed to, but he was really starting to like her.

He felt like someone was looking at him. He glanced over at Bruce, and saw that he was watching Dick over the top of his newspaper. Bruce shook his head and returned to his paper.

Dick sighed and shook his head, trying to clear it. He couldn't be in love with Natalia. If they fell in love, what would happen if the secret got out? They could be used as weapons against each other. Even at this point, Dick knew that he was willing to do just about anything if Natalia was in trouble. No, he decided, it couldn't happen.

**NJ**

Up in her room, Natalia was facing a similar dilemma. She was falling for Dick. The problem was, she couldn't be sure if he liked her too. Had she just imagined the smiles, the look in his eye, that gentle kiss? She wished that it could be true, but she had no way of knowing.

She thought about what her family would do. Her mother would have told her that she was a wonderful girl, and that if Dick didn't like her, he was an idiot. Her father would have encouraged her to talk to the boy, build a friendship, and go on from there. Jason had been a straightforward kind of guy, and wasn't one for touchy-feely sessions. He would've given her a gentle slap on the cheek and just told her to go talk to him.

She mulled over the issue for a few minutes, imagining the ways it could play out. Before long, she came to the same conclusion as Dick had. If they were to date, assuming he liked her, it would just make an attack on the other more likely. Whatever happened, Natalia knew that it couldn't work out between them.

She sat up on her bed and looked at the picture of her family. It stiffened her resolve. Everyone she loved was dead. She couldn't live with herself if the same fate awaited Dick.

**Ah, the typical hero/heroine's dilemma. Love someone or protect them? What will the two teens do? Tune in next time, and REVIEW!**


	20. Chapter 20

**OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD! TWISTED TICKETS ARE GOING ON SALE! AHHHHHHHH!**

**...**

**Anyway, I'm up to 100 views! This makes me abnormally excited! Thanks to all of y'all for reading! Still, I would LOVE reviews. Views are great, but getting a review makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)**

***Five Weeks Later***

**NJ**

Natalia walked down to the Batcave, still dressed in her Mockingbird suit. Training had just finished for the day, and she had made a lot of progress, now fighting close to Dick's level. She had also learned some acrobatics, and while she didn't feel as natural as Dick felt when she was flying on a tiny bar fifty feet above the ground, she was able to do almost every trick. She figured that at the rate she was going, she could be on patrol with them very, very soon.

As she walked toward the study, Natalia wondered why she had been called to the Batcave. No alerts had come in, no signal in the sky, nothing. Had something happened that she didn't know about? She quickened her pace. In a few minutes she reached the Batcave. Bruce and Dick were both there, Dick dressed in his Robin costume.

"Hi," she said. "What did you guys call me down for? And why are you dressed as Robin, Dick?"

Dick smiled, and Bruce started to speak.

"Natalia," he began, "we-" He was interrupted by Dick.

"Could I tell her?" he asked. Bruce nodded, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Natalia, we decided... since there's no major activity tonight..." he said, dragging it out slowly. "Well... you're going to come on patrol with me! Bruce has to go to a big meeting about Wayne Enterprises, so it'll just be us."

Natalia was shocked for a moment, the squealed, "Thankyouthankyouthankyou! I'm so excited! I promise I'll do well! This is going to be totally awesome!"

"You two had better be careful," Bruce said. "I won't be able to swoop in and help if you get in trouble. I wasn't going to let you, but Dick convinced me that you're ready."

Natalia ran up and hugged the two of them. "This will be so amazing!" she cried. "I'll be careful! I promise! You know Dick will keep a close eye on me, anyway."

Dick nodded, and they broke apart from the hug. "I'll make sure she doesn't get into any trouble," he said.

They waved, then turned and walked over to the Batmobile. Natalia slid into the passenger seat and looked around at all the buttons, levers, and other gadgets lining the inside of the car. Dick slid into the driver's side and turned to Natalia.

"Are you ready?" he asked, excitement in his voice.

"Yeah," she said, "but what do all these things do? Do I need to know how to use them?"

Dick looked flustered. "Crap, can't believe I forgot to teach you these. Here, let me show you really quick."

He quickly showed her the purposes of all the buttons. Once she knew them all, Dick started the engine and they raced off into the night.

**Aww! The lovebirds are on patrol together! How adorable :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**HELLO CHILDREN! I HAVE RETURNED! It's good to have you back!**

**Zefron Poster: It's good to be back!**

**Quiet, you! I wasn't talking to you! You're drunk!**

**Zefron Poster: No, I'm drunk!**

**Wasn't talking to you... Stupid Horcrux... Why did I agree to watch this guy over the summer?... He IS charismatic, I will admit...**

**ANYWAY. **

**I have returned to the lovely land of the Internet. I'm posting this instead of studying for my English final... I have nine hours... Who needs sleep anyway?**

**Disclaimer: As I've said before, anything you recognize doesn't belong to me. That's one thing that I can just about guarantee. **

**NJ**

It was morning, the night after Natalia's first patrol. Nothing much had happened. They had come upon a few muggings in the making and had stopped them all quickly, but for the better part of the night they had simply sat in the Batmobile, just talking. She hadn't told Dick, but she'd really enjoyed it.

Natalia woke up early and stumbled downstairs for some cereal, sleep still in her eyes. When she reached the kitchen, she saw that Dick was already sitting at the table, staring intently at the Channel 7 newscast. When he noticed her standing in the doorway, he spoke up.

"Mockingbird has made it on the news already," he said. "Look." She turned and faced the screen. Sure enough, there was a blurry video clip playing. She recognized it as the moment after she and Dick had stopped one of the muggings. It seemed that the young girl they had saved had managed to catch them with her cell phone.

The footage changed to show Vicki Vale sitting in the newsroom.

"All of Gotham wants to know who this new caped crusader is," she said. "All we know is that she goes by the name 'Mockingbird' and seems to be working with the Dynamic Duo. We here at Channel 7 will keep you posted on this new hot topic. This is Vicki Vale, signing off." The news program ended abruptly, and the weather forecast began. Dick switched the television off.

"Congratulations," he said. "You're famous."

Natalia poured herself a bowl of cereal and sat down across from him. "I won't be 'famous' until they know at least a little more about Mockingbird," she said. "On the bright side, Gotham seems pretty okay with the idea of Mockingbird."

Dick nodded. "Yeah," he said, "the first time I went out as Robin, everyone thought I sucked. They all seem to like me well enough now, though."

Natalia smiled. "I never thought you sucked," Natalia said. "In fact, to tell you the truth, I always liked you more than Batman. You seemed so nice!"

"Wait, hold the phone. What do you mean, 'seemed'?"

"Well," said Natalia, smirking, "you're kind of annoying."

Dick pouted. "That's not very nice."

"I'm just kidding," she said, punching him lightly on the arm. "Come on, Bruce is probably waiting for us in the Batcave."

They quickly finished their breakfast and went downstairs.

**AP**

Alfred, who had seen the entire exchange from afar, chuckled to himself. He could tell they liked one another. It was really quite obvious. They were just two crazy teenagers, completely oblivious to the other's emotions.


	22. Chapter 22

**Well crap... This is what I get for copying and pasting my story on here without looking over it again... I meant to take that little Alfred POV section out but TOTALLY missed it... And I'm still figuring out how to work this thing... Oh well. The world won't explode. It'll be perfectly fine. **

**NJ**

About eight days later, Natalia and Dick got a call from Bruce. His meeting from the week before had turned into an unavoidable business trip, and he was due to return early the next morning. Natalia and Dick had been taking care of patrol since he had left, and nothing big had come up. Natalia put the call on speakerphone, and she and Dick sat at the table.

"There's a problem," Bruce's voice said from the other end. "I have been informed that Poison Ivy is planning an attack on the city in less than ten minutes. You need to head down there as fast as possible and stop her."

"We're on it," Natalia and Dick said together. Bruce hung up on the other end after wishing them good luck. Dick turned to Natalia.

"Batcave," he said. "Three minutes."

Natalia rushed up to her room and yanked on her costume as fast as she could. She bolted downstairs, pulling her gloves on as she went. When she sprinted into the Batcave, she found Dick already there, the Batmobile running. She flung herself into the car, Dick gunned the engine, and they practically flew toward the town.

When the reached Town Hall, they saw that Poison Ivy had already begun wreaking havoc. It appeared that she had caused giant, moving plants to grow around the building. Natalia and Dick pressed themselves against the side of a building across the street, keeping out of sight. As they watched, a plant snapped up a citizen and dangled them far above the street below.

"This is what will happen when you destroy Mother Earth's creations!" screeched Poison Ivy. "She fights back!" The giant plant shot toward the ground, about to smash the innocent woman on the street. Without warning, Dick turned to Natalia, whispered, "Wait," and bolted into Ivy's range of vision. Ivy noticed him immediately.

"Well, well, well," she said. "Robin! What did I do to deserve the pleasure of seeing the Boy Wonder?"

"Put that woman down. She's done nothing wrong," he said.

"Fine," said Poison Ivy, scowling. The plant immediately replaced the citizen on the ground, and she ran away, screaming.

"You'll go up instead," she said with a wicked smile. The thick vine wrapped around Dick's waist and dragged him toward Ivy. Natalia could see him struggling to reach the batarangs hanging on his utility belt, but his arms were pinned by the vine.

"How 'bout a kiss?" hissed Poison Ivy. Dick struggled to get away, but the plant continued to drag him closer. Ivy puckered her lips, ready to kill Dick. Mere moments before their lips met, Natalia dashed out into the open and flung a batarang at Ivy's face. It just caught her on the cheek, knocking her over. As she made to stand up again, Natalia freed Dick's arms and handed him another batarang.

"Use that to get out of the vine," she said, then whirled around to face a now standing Poison Ivy.

"Who are you?" she growled.

"Call me Mockingbird," Natalia hissed, and she flew into the fight.

The fight started with Natalia at a distinct disadvantage. She tried to run through the vines, and Ivy laughed as she struggled to avoid getting caught. The laugh was quickly replaced by a snarl once Natalia had landed a punch. She still felt strange, hurting people like this, but quickly changed her mind when she rolled to avoid being crushed by yet another plant. Ivy was playing to kill.

Natalia jumped back to her feet, aiming a roundhouse kick for Ivy's face. She made contact, and heard Dick run up behind her. He must've finally gotten free of that vine.

They began to fight together, and as they bobbed and weaved, they began to overpower Ivy. Natalia ducked out of the battle for just a moment, her ears pricked for any sound of danger. She ran about the area, slicing up every plant until they were mere stumps. As Natalia rejoined the battle, Ivy realized what she had done.

"My babies!" she shrieked. She began to fight like a wildcat, but Natalia could tell that she was preoccupied with saving her plants. Within a few more moments, Ivy was down. They tied her up and waited for the police to arrive.

As they carted her off, she screamed a warning to Natalia and Dick.

"He's coming back!" she said with a cackle. "You can't stop him this time!" She was placed in the back of a police car and was driven away.

"What was that?" Natalia asked Dick.

"I really don't know," he said slowly, "but I don't like the sound of that."

They began to walk away, but were stopped by a news crew, Vicki Vale at the head.

"Vicki Vale here from Channel 7," she said. "All the city is wondering who the newest addition to Gotham's superhero population is. Care to let us know?" She shoved a microphone toward Natalia's face.

"I am Mockingbird," she said.

"Well, Mockingbird, are you working with the Batman? Or are you a separate superhero?"

"I am most certainly working with Batman," she said with a slight smile.

"So, Mockingbird," Vicki began, "that was some impressive fighting for a newbie, though I notice you are injured. Still, please enlighten us on how you learned to fight so well."

Natalia glanced down at her left calf. There was a long, thin cut from one of Ivy's vines. She looked up at Vicki.

"I suppose I did get injured slightly," she said, "though I didn't notice until now. As for where I learned to fight, well, I was trained by Batman. That's all I can say."

Vicki turned to Dick. "And Robin, what do you think of your new teammate?"

"I think she's a wonderful asset, and very smart," said Dick coolly. "It's nice to have another perspective in the group. Sorry, but we must go now."

He grabbed Natalia's arm, and they disappeared into the night, back to the Batmobile.

**?**

Later that night, in the same small apartment, the man watched footage of the battle and interview.

"Mockingbird," he whispered to himself. "That little Chiclet is definitely a weakness..."

A door opened, and a woman's high-pitched voice floated through.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" she called.

"Of course I am," he said with a manic grin.

This time tomorrow, he would be back.

**HAPPY DANCE! Action AND a longerish chapter! YAY! But who is this mysterious mystery point of view? What will happen tomorrow! Who did Poison Ivy mean when she said he was coming back? Again, what is it with me and asking pointless questions?**

**As always, pretty please review! Feel free to PM me if you have any guesses about what might happen. I'll try to work them in somewhere. Anyway, HAPPY SUMMER!... To those of you who don't still have exams. Like my sister. God I hate you people... I MEAN LOVE! YES, THAT IS WHAT I MEANT!**


	23. Chapter 23

**SUMMER! NO MORE FREAKING EXAMS! AND I FIGURED OUT MY GRANDFATHER'S WIFI SO I CAN UPDATE! My day just got loads better. Actually, it got loads better when I was reading Harry Potter and eating Frosted Flakes a bit ago... ANYWAY. This chapter and the next (and one more after that...) involve yet another requirement my friend set... So yeah... But they're still important to the plot! So don't just skip them!**

**NJ**

It was the afternoon of the day after the fight with Poison Ivy, and Natalia, Dick, and Bruce sat at the kitchen table. Natalia's calf was wrapped with a bandage. The cut was very shallow, but they didn't want it to get infected.

Bruce cleared his throat. "While I was gone, Wayne Enterprises made a deal with a group in Hawaii," he said.

"Good for you," said Dick.

"Well, there's going to be a big gala tonight to celebrate the deal," he said. Both Natalia and Dick nodded slowly. "The thing is, word got around that you're living here, Natalia. Everyone wants to meet you, so... You're going to have to go. You too, Dick."

"That's all right, I guess," Natalia said. "But who's going to watch over Gotham? We won't be able to just run out of the party at the slightest whiff of trouble."

"I already called Superman," Bruce said. "He'll take care of the citizens tonight."

Dick sighed, resigned to his fate. "What do we need to wear?" he asked. "I assume something like this," he gestured to his sweats, "won't make the cut."

The side of Bruce's mouth twitched. He was clearly trying hard not to laugh.

"I've already had Alfred lay out a suit for you, Dick, and a dress for you, Natalia," he said. "I would suggest getting ready now."

Natalia got up from the table and walked up to her room. She moment she opened the doors, her eyes were drawn to the sparkling dress laying on her bed. It was a pale aquamarine, and crystals studded the dress, a few at the waistline, and more and more as it reached the hemline. Sitting on the floor next to it was a pair of four inch high gold heels.

Natalia sighed. Though the dress was absolutely gorgeous, she didn't think it was her style. She decided to change into it later, as she had a few hours until they had to leave.

She walked into the bathroom and pulled out the cosmetics bag she hadn't touched since she had found it her first day at the manor. She rummaged around and pulled out what she needed. Then, she was forced to get down on her hands and knees to find the straightener and hair curlers. Once she found them, she lined up all of her supplies on the counter, pulled up a stool, and got to work.

OoOoOoO

Nearly two hours later, Natalia emerged from the bathroom. After much primping, she finally deemed her makeup perfect and had started on her hair. She had sat and read a book for a while while she waited for the curlers to do their job, and had gotten up once they had cooled down slightly. Natalia tossed a towel over the mirror in the corner of her room. She didn't want to see herself in the dress until she was completely ready, and her hair was still in curlers.

She slipped the silky fabric over her head. She realized quickly that the dress was strapless, and her back was completely exposed. Natalia had never been a fan of dresses like that, but she had to admit that it wasn't as bad as she would have expected.

Natalia walked over to the small jewelry box sitting on her dresser. Bruce had given it to her in the event that she ever needed to dress up. Like the cosmetics bag, she had barely glanced at it since the day it had been given to her.

Natalia raked her eyes over the selection. They were all stunning. After mulling over each individual piece, she settled with drop earrings, a long necklace, and a stack of bangles, all gold.

Natalia walked over to her nightstand and opened the top drawer. Inside was her one treasure. She delicately picked up the diamond-encrusted gold hairpiece. It was the only thing the crooks hadn't taken the night her family had died. Her mother had promised that she could have it when she got older. She always said that Natalia was the real gem, and didn't need a clip to make her special.

Carefully, Natalia carried it into the bathroom and set it on the counter. She looked in the small mirror and unraveled her hair from the curlers. Thankfully, it looked nice. Natalia pulled her hair into a gentle updo, and ever so gently slid the hairpiece in. She grabbed her can of hairspray and sprayed a cloud around herself. Once the mist settled, she walked back into the bedroom, plopped down on the window seat, and pulled on the heels.

Natalia stood up slowly, trying as best as she could not to wobble. However, as she took her first steps she realized that she had nothing to worry about. Alfred, being amazing as usual, must have picked out a pair of heels that looked treacherous, but were really very stable.

Good, she thought, that's one less thing to worry about. She strode over to the mirror, took a deep breath, and whipped off the towel.

Natalia gasped. All of her previous doubts about the dress were thrown out the window. She was positively radiant. The aquamarine brought out the blue in her eyes, and the gold made her highlights stand out. The top half hugged her torso tightly, then flared out a tiny bit at the waist. It landed a few centimeters above the floor, so her gold toes peeked out. Natalia hadn't noticed it before, but there was a small slit on the right side that exposed her calf. Luckily, her injury was on the left, so it was still unnoticeable.

She smiled at her reflection. She hadn't realized it before, but she looked just like her mother. She blinked back tears.

"Natalia!" she heard Dick call from downstairs. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" she called back. "I'm coming now!"

She grabbed her tiny gold clutch purse, shoved in her cell phone, an extra tube of lipstick, and a few other supplies, then left her room and walked downstairs, where Dick and Bruce were waiting.

**DG**

Dick stared as Natalia made her way down the stairs. She was drop dead gorgeous in her dress, her face practically shining. She walked with a dancer's grace in her sky-high heels, and he noticed that he was still just a shade taller than her. Once she reached him and Bruce, he found his voice.

"You look beautiful, Natalia," he said.

"Stunning," Bruce added.

Natalia blushed, uncomfortable with the attention. Dick held out his arm.

"May I escort you out to the car, milady?" he asked with a chuckle and a small bow.

Natalia grinned. "But of course, good sir," she said. She grabbed his arm, and Dick walked her out to the waiting limo.

**NJ**

As the limo drove toward their destination, Natalia kept sneaking glances at Dick when he and Bruce weren't looking. She thought he looked extremely handsome, and especially loved his adorable bow tie. Bruce had reprimanded Dick a bit for swapping his long tie for a bow tie, but Natalia loved it. She thought it showed off his personality more.

The limo parked at the front doors, and upon peeking out the window, Natalia was petrified. Reporters and paparazzi lined the sides of the walkway, trying to get the attention of everyone who walked past. Seconds before the chauffeur opened her door, she turned to Dick.

"Please stay close," she whispered, not caring what he or Bruce thought. "I don't think I can do this by myself." He nodded, and Natalia slid out the door.

The moment she exited the limo, she froze. The bright lights and loud noise terrified her. A second later, she felt Dick's hand on her arm.

"It's okay," he whispered in her ear. "I'm totally here for you." She relaxed immediately, smiled a bit, and walked down the aisle, Dick's arm under hers. She heard the limo drive off, and knew Bruce was right behind them. The thought comforted Natalia. She knew that as long as the two of them were there, she'd be fine.

She fixed her eyes on the double doors of the dance hall. She knew that they weren't too far away, but it felt like forever before she reached them. When they got into the lobby, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was terrible," she said.

Bruce smiled. "I never would've thought that you, of all people, would be camera shy."

"Yeah," Dick added. "Who would've thought such a bold dancer would hate being the center of attention so much?"

Natalia scowled and whacked them both playfully over the head.

"That's for making fun of me," she said. "Now tell me, Bruce, how horrible is this going to be?"

"Well," he said, "the dinner will be boring as hell, but just grin and bear it. You'll have a little more fun once the dancing starts, I imagine."

She nodded. "Okay, I'm ready to go in now." Natalia took a deep breath, and the three of them walked in.

**Yeah... It's a dance/party/ball/gala/whatever you want to call it. At least it made for a longer chapter!... Even if most of that was just prepping for the party... I feel extremely ashamed now...**


	24. Chapter 24

**Completely unrelated note here - I've been experiencing this horrid thing known as "writer's block," in which the author is totally screwed out of new ideas, BUT I'm already on chapter 41. So you people should be good. **

**Disclaimer: I. OWN. NOTHING. How many times do I have to go over this? I own Natalia. And the plot. The plot is my baby. **

**Shortish chapter this time... WITH A MINI CLIFFIE! DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!**

**NJ**

The first part of the night was bearable, if not interesting. Natalia had been shuffled around, getting introduced to dozens of people and forgetting their names in an instant. After that, she had found her way to her table and had sat down to a minuscule but delicious dinner. Now it was time for the dancing. She had been informed that for the first few songs, almost everyone would dance, and that after that, many would sit down. She was nervous, as all of the guests at the gala already knew she was a dancer, but was still excited. She was finally going to get to dance again!

The band struck up an upbeat tune, and she glided out onto the floor with Dick. They stepped and twirled and dipped across the floor, silently communicating with one another. When the song ended, the room burst into applause, and Natalia realized that she and Dick had been the only two dancing. All of the others had simply stood around the edges of the large room and watched.

Natalia blushed, but Dick smiled and bowed. She followed suit and swept the group a curtsy. The next tune began, a little less lively than the first, and most of the guests stepped onto the floor.

"That was embarrassing," Natalia whispered to Dick. "Did you know they were going to do that?"

"Nope," he said. "I imagine Bruce may have had something to do with it, though." At just that moment, Natalia caught Bruce's eye, and he winked.

"Yes, I think he did," she said. "I swear, when we get home, I'm going to kill him."

"Forget about it for now," Dick said. "Just enjoy your night."

OoOoOoO

An hour later, Natalia was one of very few people left dancing. She had been swapping partners all night, and was just now beginning to dance again with Dick.

The song began, a very slow and romantic piece. Natalia and Dick revolved slowly, looking at each other. After a moment or two, Natalia rested her head on Dick's shoulder.

"Dick," she began, "I have something to tell you. I-"

She was interrupted as one of the windows exploded. Suddenly everyone was screaming, and adrenaline pumped through Natalia's veins. She saw the shadow of a man take shape through the dust, and then more men behind him. When the dust settled, everyone stopped dead in their tracks, horrified.

It was Sweet Tooth.

He was back.

**(And yes, yes I am making an effort to slip in references to other plays whenever and wherever I can. Go away. I'm not weird)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Next chapter!**

**NJ**

Sweet Tooth strode into the middle of the hall, seemingly oblivious to the horrified glances the guests, including Natalia, Dick, and Bruce, sent his way.

Natalia couldn't believe he was back. He was supposed to be dead! Killed when he fell into that vat of boiling hot chocolate in the abandoned candy factory! How had he returned?

Dick gripped her hand tightly. She knew it was meant to be a comforting gesture, but she could feel him shaking. She could hardly imagine what he had gone through when he was kidnapped by Sweet Tooth. What could have happened to make one of the bravest people she knew crumble like he had, all those years ago?

Natalia stared at Sweet Tooth. He looked much different than he had prior to the accident. His pink and blue suit was now stained with patches of chocolate, and he seemed distinctly grimmer than he had five years before. She was still staring at him when he began to speak.

"Hello, citizens of Gotham," Sweet Tooth said. "I'm back!"

Chaos ensued. Two of Sweet Tooth's henchmen shot their guns into the air, silencing the crowd.

"Now listen here, you Dum-Dums," he said. "I came to warn you. I've been planning yet another Spree, and you can do nothing to stop me. Not even the Three Musketeers that are constantly saving you can help." With each candy he named, he pulled the package out of his coat pockets and threw them on the floor.

"Also, as a citizen of this city, I felt I deserved to come congratulate Mr. Wayne on his business accomplishments." He bowed slightly in Bruce's direction. "And now, where is this lovely young lady I keep hearing about? Miss Natalia Jordyn?" he cried.

Natalia froze. She recognized Sweet Tooth's voice from somewhere. She was sure of it. She just couldn't place where...

One of his henchmen walked up to her.

"I think this is her, boss," he called to Sweet Tooth.

"Swell. Bring her over."

Dick's hand was wrenched out of hers, and she was dragged over to where Sweet Tooth stood.

"Pleasure to see you again, Miss Jordyn," he said, feigning politeness. He grabbed her hand forcibly and planted a kiss on it. Natalia recoiled, wiping the bright blue lipstick stain off her hand.

What did he mean, again? How did she know him? Where had she met him? These questions raced through her head as she stared down Sweet Tooth, not saying a word.

Sweet Tooth pouted. "Aren't you going to respond?" he asked. She didn't make a sound. In a heartbeat, her arms were pinned behind her back and a knife was at her throat. The partygoers gasped, horrified at what their evening had become. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dick struggling against Bruce, trying to break free and help her.

"It's impolite not to respond," Sweet Tooth hissed into her ear as he pressed the knife into her throat, drawing a drop of blood.

"Pleasure," Natalia spat. She was thrown violently to the ground, but picked herself back up.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" said Sweet Tooth. "Maybe you could work with me one day, SweetTart."

"You have Candy," Natalia said with a snarl. "Besides, I would never help you."

"Oh, you'll regret saying that," Sweet Tooth said with an insane grin. "I have plans, Dove, and like it or not, they involve you." With that, one of his henchmen released a sugar bomb that clogged the air and made it impossible to see. When the sugar had cleared, Sweet Tooth and his minions were gone.

The room was chaos. Everyone was running for the exits, and Natalia had a hard time finding Dick and Bruce. When she did, she found Bruce speaking angrily into his phone.

"Where the hell were you, Clark?" he asked the man on the other end.

"Busy stopping about twelve different muggings, Bruce," said a voice from the other end. Natalia recognized it as Superman's. "If anyone was in a huge amount of trouble, you know I would've been there in half a second."

Before Bruce could come up with a suitable angry retort, Dick snatched the phone out of his hand.

"Thanks for helping out, Clark," he said into the phone. "We have to go now. Bye." He hung up, and both he and Bruce turned to Natalia.

"Are you all right?" Dick asked, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine," said Natalia. "Just angry."

"Anger is good," Bruce said as they went outside. "Just don't let it get the best of you." He walked off in search of their limo. Dick turned to Natalia.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. "Natalia, he could have killed you."

"It's all right, Dick, I promise I'm fine," she reassured him. "I'm just worried about what Sweet Tooth meant by saying that it was nice to see me again. He shouldn't know who I am, but I feel like I know him from somewhere."

Dick nodded, worry showing on his face. "When we get back to the manor, we'll pull up a list of all the male citizens in Gotham that you might know who weren't at that party. It'll take a while, but with luck you'll recognize him."

Natalia nodded, then noticed their limo pulling up. Dick held the door open for her, and she slid inside, Sweet Tooth on her brain.


	26. Chapter 26

**NEXT CHAPTER TIME!**

**NJ**

It was one week after the disaster at the gala, and there was still no sign of Sweet Tooth anywhere. Commissioner Gordon went on the record saying that he was baffled as to how Sweet Tooth had managed to return. He had the GCPD forces searching for him day and night, to no avail. On their nightly patrol, Batman, Robin, and Mockingbird would hunt for him rather than the petty criminals they were usually watching for. However, not even Gotham's heroic trio was having any luck.

Natalia was still trying to determine the identity of Sweet Tooth, using a database of Gotham's citizens in the supercomputer to search for possible matches. Before she had begun, she, Dick, Bruce, and Alfred had pulled out all of the female citizens, and any men who were too old, too young, had been at the gala, or for whatever reason absolutely could not be Sweet Tooth. Even after that, she had been left with too many names to count. She had spent most of the week at the Batcave's supercomputer, comparing the photos of each possible match to a picture of Sweet Tooth that had been taken the night of the gala.

By the eighth day of searching, Natalia thought she was going crazy. The image of Sweet Tooth's insane grin was permanently etched onto the inside of her eyelids, and she couldn't stop thinking about him. She would analyze every move he had made, every word he had uttered, trying to make a connection between that psychopath and someone she knew.

Natalia dropped her head on the table. It was no use. They were no closer to finding Sweet Tooth than they had been the night he had returned. She felt useless. She was supposed to know him, so why couldn't she recognize him? What use was she if she couldn't even figure out who he was?

Natalia felt a hand rest on her shoulder and looked up. Dick was standing behind her, concern on his face.

"Natalia," he said, "don't beat yourself up about this. He's just trying to worm his way into your head, probably just trying to confuse you. Most likely, he was lying about having met you before."

"That's just it," said Natalia, frustrated. "I do know him. I've seen him before, heard his voice, and not just from his attack five years ago. I've met him, I guess not dressed as a villain, and I feel like it wasn't very long ago."

Dick nodded. He pulled out a folder from behind his back, and Natalia groaned.

"Not another?" she asked.

"I'm afraid so," Dick replied, "but this guy might interest you." He put the file on the table, and said, "He wasn't in the system because he's been missing, presumed dead, for over five years."

Natalia was intrigued. She opened the folder and was shocked by what she saw.

"Samuel Travis?" she asked, astonished. "You think Sam Travis could be Sweet Tooth? As in the man Cyndi is married to?"

"Well, we can't be sure," he said. "I was thinking about this mess. You know that day we went down to your old studio? Well, something about him kinda bugged me, but I hadn't been able to figure out what. I realized something last night. The guy had reminded me of him," he said, pointing at the supercomputer's screen. "Sweet Tooth. If you look at the picture of Sam, you have to admit that the resemblance is uncanny."

Natalia held Sam's picture up to the screen and compared it to Sweet Tooth's. Dick was right; they did look similar. Their eyes were exactly the same, and their hair, though different colors, was the same style. They even had the same smile, albeit the fact that Sweet Tooth's was just, well, twisted.

"It's possible," Natalia said slowly.

"When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense," said Dick. "He disappeared right before Sweet Tooth showed up, didn't he? And right after he returned, Sweet Tooth came back."

Natalia nodded. "It would make sense," she said, "but I just can't say for sure. I don't know why, but I'm hesitating to say its him. I don't think Cyndi would be married to someone like Sweet Tooth."

"All right," said Dick. "Just let Bruce and I know the second you think you've figured it out. Oh, and get ready to go out on patrol in just a bit. Bruce is going to go talk to Commissioner Gordon, as Batman, of course, and he wants us to keep looking for signs of Sweet Tooth." Dick turned from Natalia and left the Batcave.

Natalia sighed and pushed her chair back from the desk. She would have more time to compare photos tonight, after patrol. She walked upstairs and pulled on her suit, thinking about Sam.

What if he was Sweet Tooth? she wondered. It was completely possible, and was, in fact, the most likely option they had as of that point. Natalia just couldn't imagine her beloved dance teacher marrying a monster like him. There was no way Sam could be him... right?

Natalia shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. She couldn't be distracted while she was on patrol. She headed back down to the Batcave with Dick, hopped into the Batmobile, and drove off into the city.


	27. Chapter 27

**Here's where the story gets interesting, children. As always, please REVIEW!**

**NJ**

Nothing much happened during the first few hours of patrol. Natalia and Dick sat in the Batmobile, slowly driving along the city streets. Just as the clock struck eleven, they heard a scream from a nearby alley.

Without a word, they both jumped up and ran in the direction of the scream, leaving the Batmobile behind. When they arrived in the part of the alley that they thought they had heard the scream from, there was no one to be found.

"I don't like the look of this, Robin," said Natalia.

"Me either, Mockingbird," Dick replied.

"It feels like we're being set up..." she said slowly. "But by who?"

"Well, looks like these two little Smarties aren't as smart as they seem!" called a voice from the shadows. Sweet Tooth stepped out from behind a fire escape.

"Sweet Tooth," Dick hissed between his teeth.

"Oh, hello, Boy Wonderball," said the man offhandedly. "Lovely to see you again. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of being properly introduced to your partner, though, have I?"

Dick shifted so that he was slightly in front of Natalia. She stepped out from behind him and Sweet Tooth chuckled.

"Looks like the Boy Blunder has finally found a girl," he said. Natalia snarled. "Mockingbird, isn't it? Well, I hate to break up what I'm sure is a lovely moment for the pair of you, but I'm afraid I have some business to get done. Mike and Ike! Come here! Bring my Sour Patch Kids, as well!"

Two burly men stepped out of the shadows, followed by a large group of smaller but rather heavily armed men.

Natalia glanced at Dick. His eyes were narrowed, his mouth set in a hard line. He was staring at Sweet Tooth, anger in his eyes. He showed no sign of wanting to back down and alert Batman, clearly wanting to fight it out. Natalia raised her fists slightly, getting into a fighting stance. She didn't think they should fight, but she didn't have much of a choice.

"Aw!" Sweet Tooth said. "The little lovebirds think they're going to fight! How adorable!" He smirked. "Get them."

Mike and Ike flew at the pair, while the others simply sat and watched, guns at the ready. Before the two thugs reached Natalia and Dick, the latter ducked to the side and ran for Sweet Tooth. The man seemed surprised by this, but a smile slowly slid across his face. Two fights broke out, Dick versus Sweet Tooth and Natalia versus Mike and Ike.

As Natalia fought, she could see Dick out of the corner of her eye. He seemed pretty evenly matched against Sweet Tooth, and though she was worried, she knew she needed to be paying more attention to her adversaries.

The first thing she noticed was that they were freakishly strong, but very slow, both physically and mentally. Natalia knew that her best chance would be to avoid their blows and figure out a way to outsmart them.

She dodged the men's punches like a pro, and even managed to land a few hits herself, though nothing major.

After a few minutes, she was starting to lose steam when she spied a small flagpole hanging off the side of the building. Though it was old, it looked sturdy. There was a stack of boxes just underneath it, and she had a brilliant idea.

Natalia faked a punch and ran in the direction of the flagpole. She bounded up the crates, Mike and Ike at her heels. She threw herself off the top of the pile, and only just caught the flagpole.

She swung around it a few times, building up speed. Just as the pair reached her, she let go, and shot in their direction. They were taken completely by surprise, and as she took down the first by kicking him in the chest, he fell backward and took the second out.

Natalia leapt from the boxes and hurried over to where the two men laid. She crouched beside them, planning on seeing if they were both out cold or just faking.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck. She fell to the ground, and everything went black.

**DG**

Dick was fighting for his life. Sweet Tooth's skills had much improved in the past five years, but his had too. He was engrossed in the fight when he noticed Natalia swinging around a flagpole, then fling herself off and take down her two opponents.

Unfortunately, Dick allowed himself to be distracted for a moment. It was just long enough for Sweet Tooth.

With a snap of his fingers, Dick was mobbed by the Sour Patch Kids. They raced around him, and though he fought like a madman, he was bound within seconds. To his surprise, he wasn't gagged, nor was he taken away. Why had they tied him up if not to capture him? The answer came to him in a heartbeat.

Natalia.

He turned as fast as he could, and was just in time to see a man sneak up behind her and stick something in her neck. Less than a second later she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Dick tripled his efforts to get free. He had to save her. He couldn't let Natalia get captured. As he struggled to free himself, Sweet Tooth cackled, and Natalia was dragged off into the night.

Just a minute later, Dick finally managed to free himself. He bolted after them, but it was too late.

Natalia was gone.

**OMG WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?! I HAVE NO IDEA!... No, I know exactly what will happen for the next fifteen chapters. But you guys don't :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**I'm so happy it's finally SUMMER. I feel like I still have to go to school tomorrow... I have to warn you guys, I'm going out of town for about a month in about a week and a half. So updates will get more spread out. Sorry :(**

**NJ**

Natalia woke up laying on the floor of a dark, dank room. Her head was pounding, her hands were tied behind her back, and she had no idea where she was. She pushed herself into an upright position with some difficulty, and as her eyes adjusted, took a look around her surroundings.

It seemed to be a storage room of some sort. Crates lined the walls, and there were no windows. The only way out was a steel door set into the opposite wall. Slowly, she pulled herself up off the floor and shuffled over to the door. She turned her back to it and struggled to turn the handle. Locked, of course.

Natalia looked around the room again, and this time spied a small wooden chair in the corner. She walked over and sat, then began to mull over her situation.

She had been captured by Sweet Tooth. Of that much, she was positive. Natalia couldn't be sure of much else, though. She vaguely remembered seeing Dick tied up, but wasn't sure if that had been to capture him or simply to stop him from intervening in her kidnapping. She had no idea where she was, what time it was, or Sweet Tooth's plan for her. Just as she was about to get to her feet, the door swung open.

A man's hand slid in and flicked on the light switch. Natalia noticed that there was a large, shiny scar on the back of it, as if it had been severely burned.

"Ah, looks like our little SweetTart is awake!" cried Sweet Tooth as he walked in. Natalia glared at him.

"What do you want?" she snarled.

"Ooh, this one's Red Hot!" he exclaimed with an insane laugh. "Nothing, Miss Jordyn, but to know your friends' secrets."

Natalia froze. He knew her secret identity. But how? There was only one way he could possibly know...

"Sam Travis," she hissed.

"In the flesh!" he said with a grin. "Now that we're acquainted, how about you tell me who your little friends Batman and Robin are? I have ideas, of course, but it would be so much simpler if you would just tell me."

Natalia refused to respond to him. She stared at a point above his shoulder and imagined other, happier days and places. Anywhere and anytime but here and now.

"Let me rephrase that," said Sweet Tooth lightly. In a flash, he grabbed Natalia's hair and yanked her head back. "It would be so much simpler for me," he snarled, "and so much less painful for you." He let go of her squatted inches in front of her face.

"I'll ask again. Who are they?"

Natalia sat upright in her chair, still as a statue.

Sweet Tooth pulled out his new candy cane staff. This one seemed heavier and all around more lethal than the first. He examined it for a few moments, then without warning slammed Natalia in the ribs, and she fell from her chair. She struggled to stand, but the blow had left her completely winded. Slowly, Sweet Tooth advanced, tapping his cane impatiently on his hand.

"Care to tell me now?" he asked. "There's more of that, if you would rather not answer." Natalia lay on the ground, completely unmoving. Sweet Tooth sighed.

"Very well," he said. Lightning fast, he stamped down on Natalia's wrist. There was a sickening crack, and pain shot through her arm. She bit down on her lip in an effort not to scream, tears sliding down her face.

Sweet Tooth bent down and smiled. "You see, Miss Jordyn," he hissed, "I have ways of making you talk. Ways I'm not so sure you'll enjoy." He rose and threw open the door.

"Mike! Ike!" he snapped. "Get in here!" The two thugs Natalia had fought earlier shuffled into the room.

"Yeah, boss?" the larger one said.

"Miss Jordyn is a bit... reluctant to answer our questions," he said with a manic grin. "I require your assistance to... convince her. Not yet, though. Let me get the camera. Oh, this will make such a lovely present for the bat and the bird!"

Natalia was dragged roughly back over to her seat. Soon after, Sweet Tooth came back into the room with a camera, practically skipping with delight. As he pressed record, Natalia clamped her eyes shut and braced herself for the pain sure to come.

**DG**

It was just after four in the morning. Dick paced in the manor's study, still in his Robin costume. He was furious with himself. How could he have let that happen to her?

"God, I'm such an idiot!" he screamed. "It's my fault Sweet Tooth has her! How the hell am I supposed to find her before something happens?"

"Master Richard," said Alfred quietly. "It wasn't your fault. The two of you were outnumbered, there was no way you could have stopped him. Besides, Natalia is a strong girl. She'll be alright for a while. Who knows, she might even manage to escape on her own. She could be back before morning."

Dick whirled on Alfred. "You don't know what he's capable of," he said. "I looked for her for more than two hours. She's been missing for over four. She could be dead by now. I have to find her." He slammed his fist onto the desk. "And where the hell is Bruce? He needs to help me find her!"

Just as he said that, Bruce walked into the kitchen and threw his Batman gloves down on the desk.

"I'm right here," he said. "I came as fast as I could, but had to turn around when I heard Commissioner Gordon had received this." He held up a small DVD. "It's addressed to us. It's from him." He sat down at the computer and pushed the disk into the slot. Dick and Alfred crowded behind him.

A grainy image appeared on the screen. Three figures stood in the shot, the two large ones standing, and a much smaller one sitting in a chair. Even with such a poor quality video, it was clear that the smallest was Natalia.

They watched in horror as Natalia was brutally interrogated, beaten, and slammed to the floor.

"He was never that bad before," said Dick quietly.

The video continued for over ten minutes, Bruce eventually fast forwarding through it to get through the worst of it. He pressed play again after a few moments, and onscreen was a picture of bruised and bloodied Natalia laying crumpled on the floor.

The video feed cut to Sweet Tooth's face.

"Why, hello there, you two!" it said with a grin. "As you can see, I have the newest member of your team in my sticky grasp. Now, within the next hour or so, my forces will deliver another video explaining her fate to the police department. For her sake, I would suggest not trying to find us right now. If, however, you would like to come forward before then with your identities, that would be wonderful! I promise I will release the little Cry Baby if you do. Until then," he waved at the camera, "Bye!" The video ended abruptly.

The three men sat in shock. After a few moments of staring blankly at the screen, Dick turned away and began to pace again.

"We have to go save her!" he said abruptly. "Why aren't we doing anything? We have to go help!" He made to walk for the Batcave, but Bruce held out an arm and stopped him.

"We're going to," he reassured Dick. "Remember, though, we can't just go barging in to save her. Sweet Tooth could have any number of things planned, and besides, we don't even know where she is. The best thing to do right now, as much as I hate to admit it, is to go back to the police department and wait for the next video."

Dick glared at Bruce. "How could you suggest just waiting?" he spat in disbelief. "Did you not watch that video? Did you not see what she's going through? It's only going to get worse. We have to find her now!"

"I know, Dick," Bruce said. "But think about how much worse it could be if Sweet Tooth finds out that were looking for her. It's best if we just go and wait and plan. That way, when the next disk is delivered, we might be able to see what direction whoever brings it runs off in."

Dick nodded. He saw the logic in Bruce's argument, though he didn't want to admit that Bruce was right.

"Let's get going, then," he said. "It won't be much help if they've already left the DVD by the time we get there."

Bruce played the short tune on the piano, and he and Dick strode into the elevator. Alfred wished them luck and promised to let them know if he heard anything. Within just a few minutes, the duo was racing off in the Batmobile on their way to the police department.

**...Is it weird that I feel kind of really mean about doing that to Natalia? I think I tend to get overly attached to my characters...**


	29. Chapter 29

**I'm back from my grandfather's house and completely exhausted. I'll survive. Thanks to undercoverpoet for reviewing my story!... Even though I may have pressured her into reading it via text... Still, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy either way :)**

**Anyway, back to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. If I owned Batman and Starkid, HMB would be canon and Brian and Meredith would have little Breredith children. I would say Joe and Lauren too, but I'm too busy fangirling over Joe... So yeah. **

**NJ**

Distantly, Natalia heard Sweet Tooth yell "Cut!" Mike and Ike stopped beating her, and she lay on her stomach on the cold concrete floor, unable to move. She heard people talking more, and strained her ears to listen.

"Take that to Gordon," she heard Sweet Tooth say. Natalia assumed that he had handed the recording to one of the two men. "Now leave," he ordered. "I must have a chat with our guest."

She heard the door slam, and footsteps coming toward her. Sweet Tooth grabbed a handful of her long hair and yanked her head off the floor.

"Godiva good time!" he cackled. "Wasn't that fun, Dove?" He shook her head, clearly expecting an answer.

With the small amount of energy she had left, Natalia glared at him with as much contempt as she could muster and spat in his face.

He slammed her head onto the floor, and the rusty taste of blood flooded her mouth.

"That was just plain rude," he said. "At least your little boyfriend had some manners a few years ago. Although, I suppose I wasn't quite as hard as him as I was on you." He looked down at Natalia's crumpled form and laughed. He kicked her in the side one last time, just for the hell of it, it seemed to Natalia, then began to walk toward the door. Before he had quite reached it, Natalia tried to speak, hardly able to make a sound.

"I'll never tell you anything," she rasped, her voice a nearly inaudible whisper. "No matter what you try, you'll never be able to win. I'll never give in."

Sweet Tooth turned back around and grinned at her. He seemed to be taking much pleasure in seeing her in pain.

"I wouldn't count on it," he said in a singsong voice. "I'm going to have to go now, SweetTart. I promise though, I'll be back later!" He laughed manically and left the room, locking the door behind him.

Slowly, Natalia pushed herself upright so that she was leaning against a crate. She whimpered every time she moved, each individual injury causing her so much pain she wanted nothing more than to just black out to get away from it all. Cradling her wrist, she shut her eyes and tried to block everything else out.

Less than five minutes later, the door opened again. Natalia shrank back, praying that she wouldn't be seen. She hadn't expected Sweet Tooth to be back so soon.

Natalia squinted at the figure entering. It was clear that the person wasn't Sweet Tooth. But then, who was it? As she looked closer, details began to take shape. Bouncy pigtails, bright tutu, knee-high Converse, and piles of jewelry.

Natalia was, if anything, more frightened than before. She had heard that this woman was completely ruthless, and was willing to do anything to keep Sweet Tooth to herself. A shiver rolled down Natalia's spine. Candy was madder than the man she loved.

Wait, Natalia thought. If she loves Sweet Tooth, and Sweet Tooth is Sam Travis, then does that mean...

"Cyndi?" she whispered.

Candy turned and faced Natalia, then put her finger to her lips. She slid all the way inside and poked her head out the door, checking to see if anyone was around. There must not have been, because she shut the door close to silently and walked quickly over to Natalia.

"Oh my god..." Cyndi whispered, crouching down to Natalia's level. "I can't believe what they did to you..." She reached out a hand, but Natalia recoiled.

"Go away," Natalia rasped. "You're working with Sweet Tooth. I don't care how close we used to be, I can't trust you now."

"Oh, god, Natalia, no," Cyndi said, "it's not like that at all."

"Then what is it?" asked Natalia. "Why are you still here? Why does he trust you? Why do you always fight on his side? Kill people? Why?"

Cyndi sighed. "I've never been on Sam's side," she said. "He was... different when we fell in love. Sane. Then he started to change. He would commit a petty crime every once in a while, and started to get just a little violent. That went on for about a year, and then it got worse. He set up a crime ring and based all of his operations out of the studio. The basement, usually. He bought that horrible suit, dyed his hair, and made me tell everyone that he had disappeared. He started planning a crime; something big, but I didn't know what.

"Then one day, he came into the apartment with this outfit," she said, gesturing to her costume. "He demanded that I wear it and help him. So, I took on the alter ego of Candy. As soon as I figured out what he was doing, I tried to back out, but by that point he didn't care who he had to hurt to get what he wanted. I tried to go to the police, but no one believed me. He found out one day and hasn't fully trusted me since. I've been working behind his back as much as I can, and I was able to delay this plan a bit. I still was unable to stop him, though. When he fell into that vat of chocolate, I thought I was free. But now that he's come back... I had hoped he'd changed for the better, but no. He's much more violent."

Natalia was stunned. She knew that she should be cautious, knew she shouldn't believe Cyndi, but she felt like she was telling the truth.

"Then why are you here?" she asked hoarsely. "Why didn't you run when he came back?"

Cyndi sighed. "I didn't have a choice," she said. "When Sam came back, I knew it was only a matter of time until he came up with another elaborate scheme that would probably involve kidnapping, candy, weapons, and a hell of a lot of wasted money. I didn't want anyone to be hurt." She paused and looked at Natalia. "I can't stay long," she said, "but I need to get you cleaned up a bit. Come on, lets get you sitting in that chair."

Natalia grasped Cyndi's arm tightly, and the young girl struggled to raise herself off the floor. After a few minutes and plenty of failed attempts, they ended with Cyndi's arms wrapped under Natalia's arms, holding her up as best as she could.

Carefully, the two women made their way to the chair. It was a slow, painful process, but they eventually made it. Cyndi helped Natalia into the chair, then reached into the folds of her skirt and pulled out a few medical supplies.

"I know it isn't much," she said, "but I wasn't able to take anything more without drawing suspicion. Besides, we probably won't be able to put any sort of bandages on you. Sam will notice."

Cyndi carefully took inventory of Natalia's injuries. Multiple bruised, possibly fractured ribs, an almost certainly broken left arm, a badly split lip, and cuts and bruises covering her body only marked the start of the lengthy list.

Once they had figured out what was wrong with what, Cyndi tried her best to fix what she could with what they had. She wiped most of the blood off Natalia's face and was even able to wrap her ribs in such a way that it was nearly undetectable with her Mockingbird costume on, but she wasn't able to do much else. They both tried to think of a way to stabilize Natalia's arm without it being noticed, but nothing would work.

Natalia settled back into the chair, utterly exhausted, but on edge. It had been almost half an hour since Sweet Tooth had left, and both she and Cyndi knew that he could be back any minute.

"I have to go," said Cyndi. "Sam will be back before long. I promise I'll try to keep you safe. He still won't let me know what he's planning, but I swear I will try my hardest to keep you from getting hurt." She hugged Natalia gently, quietly opened the door and edged out of the room.

Natalia sighed. It was nice to know that she had at least one person on her side here. While Cyndi was unable to help Natalia escape, she helped her stay relatively calm. Now that she was alone again, Natalia began to get more and more worried and frightened. What did Sweet Tooth have planned for her? How long was she going to be here? Was she going to die?

Most importantly, how the hell could she escape?

**I most certainly did not get that last little bit with Sweet Tooth from a certain animated Batman movie I'm trying to get my hands on... No, not at all... And no, I also could not possibly resist the urge to put that AVPS reference in there either... Or the ones in other chapters...**

**And yes, I feel like a total assholey butt trumpet for doing this to Natalia. Thanks for reminding me, Internet. **


	30. Chapter 30

**Yeah... So I'm just kinda sitting in my living room with my dog reading Pearls Before Swine and Perks of Being a Wallflower (again) and alternating between watching BAMF Girls Club and Therunawayguys... I have no life during the summer... SO, I decided to update. You're welcome. **

**NJ**

Around ten minutes after Cyndi left Natalia alone in the storage room, the door opened again. The first person through was Cyndi. Unfortunately for Natalia, she wasn't alone. Sweet Tooth followed her through, twirling his cane as he entered.

Natalia analyzed the situation. It was just the two of them, no henchmen, so she probably wasn't going to be too badly injured. However, Sweet Tooth had brought the camera with him. She knew that that meant nothing good was going to happen. Plus, Natalia knew that Cyndi wouldn't be able to show any sympathy toward her in order to keep up her act for Sweet Tooth.

"Candy," said Sweet Tooth, "be a Honee **(and yes, that IS a candy... I'm running low on puns...) **and tie Miss Jordyn to the chair. Tie her as tightly as possible. We don't want her trying anything."

"Sure, ST!" Cyndi trilled in a voice much higher than her usual one. She bounced over to one of the crates and pulled out a length of cord, then skipped back to Natalia.

"Sorry," she whispered in Natalia's ear as she bent to tie her hands to the chair's back, then to tie her torso to the chair as well. She tied her tightly, but left a tiny amount of room for Natalia to move. It wouldn't be much of any help, but at least it made the position less painful for Natalia.

"Perfect!" said Sweet Tooth. "Let's get the video set up, shall we? Candy, you'll be recording." He bustled around the room, moving various things so that they would be just perfect. As he fixed the position of a box directly behind her, Natalia spoke up.

"You won't get away with this," she hissed. "True, I may be in no position to stop you, but that doesn't mean Batman can't. Or Robin. Even the GCPD. The entire city is on a giant manhunt for you. You can't hide much longer."

Sweet Tooth whirled around and slapped Natalia across the face. A bright red handprint formed on her cheek, but she managed to keep what she hoped was a cocky smirk on her face.

"But the thing is," he spat, "I won't need to keep this up much longer. My plan is falling perfectly into place, and there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop me." He drew a long piece of cloth from his pocket and shoved it roughly into her mouth.

"There!" cried Sweet Tooth. "Now that the little Nerd can't talk, it's a perfect time to start recording! Sugar Baby, are you ready?"

"'Course, ST!" called Cyndi.

"Wonderful!" He positioned himself behind Natalia, in a spot where shadows concealed most of him. After he declared himself perfect, Cyndi pressed record.

**DG**

When Dick and Bruce reached the police department, Commissioner Gordon came running out to them, waving another disk in the air.

"This got here five minutes ago!" the old man called as they got out of the Batmobile and started inside. "The perp that brought it left it on the step and ran. We tried to follow him but we lost the trail. I'm baffled as to where he went."

"Dammit," swore Bruce. "We needed to know where their base was."

"Well," said Dick, "what we need to do right now is watch this video. As far as we know, Mockingbird could only have a few minutes left to live." He practically ran inside, and when Bruce and Gordon walked in with the DVD a couple of minutes later, he was already in Gordon's office. Gordon handed him the case, and he pushed it into the DVD player. They all pulled up chairs and waited for a few tense seconds before the video began.

The shot was of Natalia, bound and gagged, her chair positioned in the middle of the screen. She was the picture of defeat, but looking closely Dick noticed that her eyes showed that she was anything but beaten. They blazed with defiance, the sort of look that would make the bravest, most badass guy in the world quake in his boots. Though it pained him to see Natalia like this, he took heart in the fact that Sweet Tooth hadn't yet managed to break her.

Dick jumped when a voice began to speak. He looked closely at the shadows behind Natalia, and noticed that there was a man standing in them, nearly out of sight.

"Hello, Batman," said Sweet Tooth as he stepped from the shadows. "Hello to you too, Bird Boy. Now, as you very well know, this little songbird is very much my prisoner. Granted, she may not be much longer!" He pulled back his sleeve and checked the time on his watch. As he did, Dick noticed the burn on his hand. It seemed familiar to him, but he was unable to place it...

"So, here's my brilliant plan!" Sweet Tooth squealed. "At exactly five fifteen this morning, one of two bombs will go off. Either way, that Pop will Rock! Lucky for you, you'll have the chance to stop one of them. One is the first of a chain of bombs that will destroy the city and kill quite a few citizens. Not all of them, just enough so that they hate you two for failing them and I can take over with much more ease than before. The other, however, is just a single bomb. It won't cause significant damage, many deaths, or cost you your good reputation. The second bomb will be tied to little Mockingbird."

Dick saw Natalia's eyes widen with fear. She had escaped death before, narrowly in some cases, but he could tell she was scared. Who wouldn't be horrified at the idea of being blown to smithereens?

"So, you two get to decide!" Sweet Tooth exclaimed. "You can explode the city, and Robin, you can have Mockingbird be Forever Yours. Or, you can choose to kill the girl and save the city. It's completely up to you! Now, as for locations..." Sweet Tooth pulled out his bright blue handkerchief and unfolded it. Drawn on the back was a map of Gotham.

"Now, somewhere in here," said Sweet Tooth, pointing to the central area, "is the first bomb. I won't tell you anything more, except that it's a rather major building. As for the girl, well, you'll just have to figure that out on your own! Any hints I could give would make it obvious, and that would make the game just no fun, wouldn't it? You have until five fifteen, or I get to choose what happens! I promise, it won't be in her favor!" He smacked Natalia hard on top of the head, and the screen went black.

Dick stood up and immediately began to pace. As he paced, he quickly talked through his thoughts.

"Where do I recognize Sweet Tooth from?" he asked himself. "I know him from his crimes of course, but where else? I've seen him before, I know it." As he muttered, Gordon made to speak, but Bruce stopped him.

"Let him think," Bruce whispered. "He's been trying to figure out who Sweet Tooth is since he came back, and I think he's close to figuring it out." They sat in silence for a second, mulling over possible locations for the first bomb.

"I knew it was him!" cried Dick. The other two men are startled.

"Who, Robin?" Bruce asked.

"Sam Travis!" he said with a hint of disdain. "It makes perfect sense! He disappears five years ago, and then Sweet Tooth shows up! He returns from his "kidnapping" only weeks before Sweet Tooth comes back from the dead! Sam came back with a burn on the back of his left hand, and so did Sweet Tooth! Batman, they even have the same voice. When I met Sam Travis, he said to me that being held captive by Sweet Tooth was 'just no fun.' He said the same thing just now, it has to be him!" He paused for breath after his long explanation.

"I think you're right," said Gordon. "He did disappear just before Sweet Tooth arrived the first time, and many people who knew him said that he loved candy more than anything, except maybe his wife."

"Still," Bruce said, "we don't know where Mockingbird is. He may have meant for you to realize that. I'm betting that since he has Mockingbird, he either knows our identities or figured out who we might be based off of hers, which he probably knows. If he wanted you to realize that he was Sam Travis, he probably put her somewhere connected to both himself and Mockingbird."

Dick paused for a second. "It couldn't be the orphanage, he has no connection to that place..." He and Bruce thought for another few seconds, and quickly came to the same conclusion.

"The studio!" they said together. Gordon looked at them, completely baffled.

"What studio?" he asked. "I'm baffled as to what in the name of Mark Twain you're talking about."

Bruce turned to Gordon and said, "All you need to know is that she's connected to CT&ST Dance Academy."

"Batman," Dick said, "how is this supposed to work? We need to save the city. We can't have that much destruction. But what about Mockingbird? If we don't save her, that's it. She's dead. There's no way she's coming back. So, how do you propose we save both? And where could the first bomb be?"

"To answer your last question, Travis once wanted to run for mayor, but wasn't allowed due to the fact that he was going insane. So, I'm going to check City Hall. It fits into the puzzle and his life. And as for saving both..." he paused. "We'll have to split up. We can both fight on our own perfectly fine, but we can talk to each other with these earbuds." He handed Dick a tiny cylinder and slid the other into his ear. Dick followed suit.

"I'll get Mockingbird," he said. "You get the other one. We have less than half an hour to stop both bombs. We have to go now!"

"Commissioner Gordon," said Bruce, speaking now to the older man, "if I'm not back by five after, send out the GCPD to evacuate all major areas of the city and have the people wait in the nearby fields or somewhere like that until we get rid of the bombs. Robin will take care of Mockingbird." Gordon nodded, and the two superheroes rushed off.

Once the two were outside, they parted ways - Dick to the right, Bruce to the left, both sprinting as fast as possible. They were both men on a mission. Bruce needed to save the city he had worked so hard for, and Dick was determined to save the girl he loved.

**Yeah, so I know almost NOTHING about the layout of Gotham... But since the city hall would be a major building, I figured it would probably be in the central area. And by the way, I wrote this at about 2:30 in the morning, so if any chapters from here on out make no sense, well, that's why. **

**Oh, and yes, I had to make the Mark Twain joke. And make Gordon say baffled all the time. And you are required to read the word smithereens in Nicholas's cop voice. So go do that now. **


	31. Chapter 31

**Well crap... I'm running low on chapters and my writer's block is back... Let's see how this turns out, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: This is starting to make me feel somewhat depressed, as I STILL. OWN. NOTHING. Geez, you would think people would get it the first time... But I still love you guys. **

**NJ**

Natalia continued struggling against her bonds. They had shot the video over ten minutes ago, but she had not been left alone. Both Mike and Ike stood by the door, waiting for Sweet Tooth to arrive with the bomb. She had been trying to escape since the moment Sweet Tooth had left, but had failed to make any progress.

Just as Natalia thought she was beginning to loosen her ties, the door slammed open and Sweet Tooth waltzed in, followed by a small man, probably not much older than Natalia, who was carrying a heavy-looking briefcase. The younger man seemed frightened, but Sweet Tooth was grinning hugely.

"Now, Charles," Sweet Tooth said, "get that set up fast. We don't want to be here when our guests arrive." The smaller man nodded and opened his briefcase, then spread the contents on a crate. He pulled out a few small tools and began to tinker with the pieces.

Sweet Tooth turned to face Natalia. He crouched in front of her, then ripped her gag out of her mouth.

"This isn't going to happen, Sam," Natalia said immediately, trying to play to his somewhat saner side. "Robin and Batman will be able to rescue me and save the city. You know it. Just-"

Sweet Tooth cut her off. "No," he said, "this plan is perfect. For your information, I'm counting on having the three of you busy. I have to go get my REAL master plan set up. Frankly, I don't give a shit if you die Now or Later. Either way, you'll be out of the way for long enough. Oh, and by the way, don't call me Sam." As she opened her mouth to respond, Sweet Tooth shoved the gag back in.

"I'm bored of talking to you," he said. "I'm ready for the fun to begin." He turned to the young man. "Charles, you'd better be done." The small man jumped.

"Yes, sir," he said. He held out what Natalia figured had to be the bomb, his arms shaking. "Can I see my fiancée now?"

Sweet Tooth sighed. "I suppose," he said. "Mike and Ike will lead you to her section of the basement. Maybe, if I'm feeling generous, I'll bring you two with me when I leave the building tonight." He snapped his fingers, and Mike and Ike dragged Charles out of the room. After they left, Sweet Tooth cackled.

"What an idiot!" he exclaimed. "It's funny how the little Dum-Dum thinks I'll let him go now that he knows my plan. No, I'll just have to set up a little accident involving him and his precious fiancée." He walked over to the bomb and picked it up.

"What a beauty," he sighed. "It'll blow this building sky-high. I stay true to my word though, Natalia. It won't kill anyone but you. Well, maybe little Charlie." Sweet Tooth turned and met Natalia's eyes. If looks could kill, he would be dead a thousand times over. He sauntered over to her chair and stood behind it.

"Ah, I see someone has been trying to escape," he tutted. "We can't have that, now can we?" He tightened the ropes around her wrists and the ones binding her torso to the chair, then rummaged through the crates to find more rope. When he did, he proceeded to tie down everything she had been able to move previously. When he finished, she could hardly move at all, only able to turn her head a tiny fraction to either side.

Sweet Tooth stood back and admired his work. "Much better!" he proclaimed. "Now for the bomb..." He picked up the bomb and stood behind Natalia's chair again. She heard him fiddling around with the straps, and after a few moments one was tightened around her chest. This was followed by three more, so tight that she found herself struggling to get enough air.

"Perfect!" said Sweet Tooth. He checked his watch. "And just in time, too! It's 4:51 now! I've got to get out of here before the bat and the bird arrive. Have fun, SweetTart! Don't go anywhere!" He cackled and exited, slamming the door behind him.

Natalia thought over her predicament. She already knew that she couldn't move and didn't even bother trying to get out. Bruce and Dick would try to come for her, most likely- actually, probably Dick would come. Bruce would be trying to stop the other bomb. She had about twenty-five minutes before the bomb went off. If she was rescued, Natalia knew she wouldn't be able to run anywhere fast in the state she was in. She didn't know where that man, Charles, or his fiancée was, but they would need to be saved as well.

She hoped with all her heart that someone was coming. As much as she hated it, she was playing the damsel in distress yet again.

**Is she gonna get out? Will Gotham be destroyed? Is this actually the climax and I'm just toying with you? Is it actually NOT the climax and I'm just toying with you? THE WORLD** **MAY NEVER KNOW!**


	32. Chapter 32

**I watched the Dark Knight Rises yesterday. I have one thing to say. THERE NEEDS TO BE A FREAKING SEQUEL BEFORE I KILL SOMEONE IF ONE ISN'T ANNOUNCED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS ON NEW YEARS OF 2015 I WILL KIDNAP EVERYONE WHO WORKED ON THAT MOVIE AND MAKE THEM MAKE A SEQUEL. **

**...**

**In case you can't tell, I feel very passionately about this. **

**...**

**That is all. **

**DG**

At last, Dick reached the studio. He had less than twenty minutes, or Natalia was dead. He tugged on the door. Locked. Naturally. He worked on the lock for a moment or two, and soon heard the quiet click of the door unlocking. He slipped inside and shut the door behind him.

The studio was completely deserted. It seemed that Sweet Tooth and his minions had just vanished... Or Dick was wrong, and Natalia wasn't here. No, he thought, she had to be here.

Now, the room she had been in had looked like there weren't any windows, so that ruled out the first floor and anything higher, most likely. Dick knew there was an attic, but Natalia had told him that is was so small and the roof so slanted that no more than three or four people would fit up there at a time. That meant she had to be in the studio basement.

Dick raced around for a minute or two, looking for the entrance. When he found it, he crept down the stairs quietly. Some of Sweet Tooth's henchmen could still be there...

There were only two doors at the bottom of the stairs, one on each side. Dick tried the door on the left first, which had only a small lock on it. He unlocked it, and the door swung open. Unsurprisingly, Natalia wasn't there. Instead, a small young man was standing protectively in front of a woman Dick figured was his girlfriend. Once he realized who Dick was, the man breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank god," said the man. "I thought you were Sweet-"

"Tooth," finished Dick. "Now go. Get out of here while you can. A bomb is going to blow up this building in little more than ten minutes. Get somewhere safe." The two people ran out and bolted up the stairs.

Dick turned to the other door. Natalia had to be behind there. There was a huge padlock on the door, and Dick fumbled with the lock for far too long when, finally, it snapped open. He quickly checked the time on his iPhone. 5:07. Less than eight minutes. If Natalia wasn't in here, he didn't know what would happen.

Dick took a deep breath and swung the door open.

**NJ**

Natalia was getting worried. Very worried. Though she didn't know the exact amount of time she had, she knew her time was nearly up. Less than ten minutes, probably. She hadn't been able to loosen her ties in the slightest, and knew that she would die if someone didn't get there soon.

Without warning, the door swung open. Was it Dick? Bruce? Or had Sweet Tooth come back for some reason? She saw a figure in the doorway, and as the person walked forward, she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Dick!" she said.

"Thank god!" he said as he rushed forward. "I thought you were a goner."

"I still might be," she said grimly. "Bomb removal now, touchy-feely moment later."

Dick nodded and ducked behind her.

"Shit," she heard him say, his voice somewhat muffled.

"What is it?" Natalia asked.

"Well, the bomb is extremely complex, and I don't know that I have enough time to diffuse it."

"Aw crap... Wait, Sweet Tooth said that the bomb would only blow up this building. Can you tell if he was telling the truth by looking at the bomb?"

Dick was silent for a moment. "Yes," he said, "I'm fairly sure that there's only enough explosives to blow up the studio."

"Well," said Natalia, "if you can get the bomb off me, we can get out. Since this is where Sweet Tooth has been working, it's possible that he may have left something he needs here by accident. I doubt it, but I think it would be best if we just... blow up the studio."

Dick nodded. "All right," he said. "Just be ready to move as soon as you're out." He pulled out a batarang and began to saw at the straps holding her in place.

**OoOoOoO**

The final strap broke.

"Come on, Natalia, we have two minutes to get out of here!" said Dick. He grabbed her right hand and pulled her up.

"We have to run!" He started to pull her along, but she tripped and fell.

"Dick," she said, "I can't run. I can hardly walk."

"We'll see about that." Dick bent over and scooped her up as if she weighed nothing, and without another word dashed up the basement stairs and out the door. He dashed across the street and set her gently on a bench.

Natalia blushed. "Thanks," she said.

"No problem," said Dick with a slight smile.

Not a second after, the studio exploded. Natalia curled up into a ball as best as she could and tried to protect herself from flying shrapnel. Luckily, the explosion was small enough and she and Dick were just far away enough that they were unhurt. Natalia remained curled up for a moment or two, then slowly straightened.

"That was too close," she said.

"Definitely," said Dick. "Come on, we have to get back to the GCPD. We need to tell Bruce that we're safe." Natalia nodded, and Dick helped her stand. She wrapped her arm tightly around his shoulder and limped off.

As Natalia and Dick approached the police department, she could see Bruce inside, pacing.

Dick let go of her for a moment to push open the door, and Bruce whirled around. When he realized who it was, he dashed outside and helped Natalia and Dick in.

As Natalia made her way to a chair, Commissioner Gordon shuffled in, carrying a cup of coffee. He jumped when he saw the new arrivals.

"Well, thank goodness you two got here!" he exclaimed. "Batman barely made it back in time before we sent out the GCPD. We all thought you were dead!"

Natalia ignored Gordon and spoke to Bruce.

"Batman," she said, "Sweet Tooth's planning something. I don't know what, but it's big. He wanted the three of us out of the way tonight. I don't think he's attacking now, but I'm sure something huge was set up. We have to stop him!"

Batman nodded solemnly. "Gordon," he said, "keep an eye out. Any sign of Sweet Tooth and you contact me immediately. I must get Mockingbird and Robin back to the Batcave." He helped her back up, and the trio walked off to the Batmobile and drove out of sight.

**You know, I was originally going to put times at the beginning of every chapter, at each POV change, and each time break within a chapter. This was going to be the climax, and I thought it would be cool. Then the story wouldn't let me finish it here (you know how they are) and I really didn't want to continue carefully planning out how the characters would spend every second of the story. So, to put it simply, I'm lazy. Deal. **


	33. Chapter 33

**I'm sitting at my neighbor's house, watching their dog and watching That's So Raven reruns... I miss my childhood. I'm still a kid, but Disney kinda really sucks now, so... Yeah. It might not be a 90s show, but they still need to bring back shows from the 90s and early 2000s. Frankly, I'm ashamed of my generation. **

**On that happy note, back to the story!**

**Disclaimer: Natalia. Natalia is pretty much all I own. That's about it, sadly enough. I wouldn't be here if I owned more. **

**Oh yeah, and I've never broken my wrist, so I made a guesstimation by using the Internet. **

**NJ**

"Well, I don't think it's broken too badly," said Bruce as he moved Natalia's arm back and forth.

"Well, thank god for that," she said.

"I think it's safe to say that it's fractured. We'll need to get you in a cast, or at least a brace of some sort."

Natalia was furious. "How am I supposed to help you two stop Sweet Tooth if my arm is in a cast? I don't care if it's broken, I'm not playing the captive EVER again. I need to help!" She turned to Dick. "YOU know how I feel, right? Aren't you on my side?"

"Yes," he said quickly, "but you can't fight much while you're in this state, can you?" He gestured to all of her various injuries. "You can still help, though. When we're out fighting, we'll wear earpieces so we can communicate. You can help from the Batcave."

Natalia was fuming, but she knew the two men were right. She needed some time to recover before she could fight again.

"Fine," she sighed. "The second my arm is better, I'm helping."

Bruce nodded. "It shouldn't be too terribly long. Four weeks, at most, since it doesn't seem to be too badly broken-"

"Four WEEKS?" Natalia shrieked. "I'm not going to be able to sit here and wait for four days, let alone weeks! Sweet Tooth can take over the city in four weeks! You two could be dead in four weeks! I can't wait that long!"

"I said at most, Natalia," said Bruce. "If we get you in a cast soon, and you stop moving it around, it should be fine."

"Also, I don't think Sweet Tooth's plan is going to take place in the next few weeks," said Dick. "He said last time that it took him months upon months of planning to set his plan in motion. He hasn't been back for more than a month. Cyndi told you that, didn't she? He hasn't been back for long?" Natalia nodded. "Good. Then I would say tonight he started on another phase of his plan. What it is, I have no idea, but I don't think he'll start anything any time soon."

"I guess you're right..." said Natalia slowly, "but-" She was cut off by her phone vibrating in her utility belt. She pulled it out as quickly as she could, and was startled by who sent the message.

"Cyndi!" she gasped.

"Cyndi Travis? What did she say?" asked Dick. He and Bruce both leaned forward, trying to get a view of Natalia's phone.

"It says, and I quote, 'Are you all right? I saw the explosion. Did you get out?'" That's all. Hang on, let me tell her we're all okay..." She typed a response as quickly as she could with one hand, and was rewarded just a few moments later by another text.

"Well, Cyndi's glad we're all safe," said Natalia. "She says she can't tell us much about his plan, or where they are, but she promises to help however she can."

Bruce nodded. "Good. Now we have eyes on the inside. Before you start spying on Sweet Tooth, though, we need to get you in a cast."

**OoOoOoO**

"Well," said Dick, "at least the doctor let you wear a removable cast. That's good. Plus, she said it could be off in less than four weeks."

Natalia shot him a glare. She was sitting on her bed in her room in the manor, fiddling with the straps on her cast, brace, whatever.

"I guess it's better than nothing," she said. "It could be worse. It could also be better, but it could be a hell of a lot worse." She relaxed back into the pillows, trying not to jostle her arm, her newly wrapped ribs, or anything else. The doctor had said she would be ready to fight in a few weeks. As much as she was looking forward to getting back out there, she was just thankful to be back.

Natalia closed her eyes, and a peaceful silence settled between the two, Dick sitting at her bedside. She knew that he was still there, and after a few minutes, spoke up.

"Dick?" she said.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you so much," said Natalia. "It means so much to me that you cared enough to come help me. If you hadn't come, even if the bomb hadn't been there... I don't think I would've made it out. Either I would've given in, or he would've killed me. So, just, thanks."

"You're welcome, Natalia," she heard him say as she started to drift away. "I would do it again in a heartbeat."

As she began to slip off to sleep, she held her hand out to Dick. After a second's hesitation, he grasped it tightly, and Natalia was able to fully relax. Within just a couple of seconds, she was asleep.

**DG**

Dick looked down at Natalia's now sleeping form. He wished he could be happy, thrilled, ecstatic that she was back. However, as he looked down at the cuts and bruises that marred her face, her still slightly swollen cheek, he felt nothing but anger.

Sweet Tooth was dead this time. He would not terrorize anyone ever again.

Dick sat like this, holding Natalia's hand and thinking for a few minutes. Without warning, Natalia began stirring slightly, mumbling a bit. Ever so gently, Dick reached down and brushed her hair off of her face.

"It's all right," he whispered. "It's okay, Natalia. You're safe. I'm here. You're going to be okay."

She settled, a tiny smile on her face, and Dick sighed. He still felt responsible for her capture.

"How could I have been so stupid?" he said aloud.

Natalia woke, but not fully. She cracked her eyes open jut a millimeter and looked in Dick's general direction.

"Dick," she said slowly, "it's not... your fault. I was... stupid and got captured... You saved... me. I would be dead if you hadn't... saved me...S'not your fault, it's mine..." She trailed off, and drifted back to sleep.

He sighed again. No matter what she said, he was still responsible.

After a few more minutes, he gently released her hand and got up from his chair as silently as he could. Ever so quietly, he tiptoed over to the door and cracked it open. He started to slip outside, but then paused.

"Sweet dreams, Natalia. I-I love you," he stammered out.

Then, quietly, he slipped out the door and shut it behind him.

**Dawwwwwww! Dick and Natalia feels!... It's pathetic how I'm beginning to hugely ship them. It really is sad...**


	34. Chapter 34

**Hiya guys! Soooooo, I'm headed to Disney in just a couple of days, and do not believe that the land where dreams come true believes in wifi. So there's a possibility of as long as a month long gap. I'll try not to let it come to that, though. **

**And also, to whoever's reading my story (yeah, like all three of you... No, I have somewhere around 50 readers. Considering the population of Earth, that sucks. Population of fanfiction that's not great, but population of HMB fanfiction that's not bad), you should check out my friend's story. It's The Purge by undercoverpoet. She's going to have Natalia in a major role, so I'm looking forward to that! Obviously though, her story has no effect on this one. After this really long note, let's continue!**

**NJ**

Natalia was tied up again, unable to move. She watched in horror as Sweet Tooth approached, tapping his cane in his hand.

"Lovely to see you again," he hissed. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

"Miss Natalia?" he called. "Miss Natalia?" Natalia cracked open her eyes, confused. Why did he sound like Alfred?

Sweet Tooth grinned wickedly and swung the cane, aiming for Natalia's head. It was a second before making contact, and-

Natalia bolted awake, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. She rested her head in her hand, thankful it had just been a dream.

"Miss Natalia?" she heard someone call again. She looked up to see Alfred standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hello, Alfred," she said.

"Are you all right, miss?" he asked Natalia. "You seem startled."

"No, no, I'm fine, Alfred," she said. "Just a dream, that's all."

"Well all right, then. Master Bruce and Master Richard would like you to know that they will be going out on patrol soon. They're just finishing supper. They would like you to help them from the Batcave, if you feel up to it."

"Wait," said Natalia, glancing around for a clock. "What time is it?"

"Quarter till eight, Miss Natalia."

"Oh! I've been asleep for a while... Alfred, please be a dear and let them know I'll be down in a few minutes." Alfred nodded and left the room.

With no small effort, Natalia pushed herself out of bed and walked over to her closet. She was still in her torn Mockingbird costume and needed to change into something clean. She picked up some sweats, hardly glancing at them, and began the painful process of changing clothes.

She moved as slowly as possible, trying not to jostle her ribs or arm too much. Still, by the time Natalia was finished, she was aching, if possible, even more.

Natalia left her room, shutting the door behind her. As she walked down the stairs she gripped the banister tightly. She didn't trust herself not to fall. Carefully, she made her way down to the kitchen, where Bruce and Dick were sitting, waiting for her.

"Hey," said Natalia. She plopped down in a chair, and Dick set a mug of coffee in front of her. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said with a smile. "Are you feeling all right? Your arm isn't bothering you or anything?"

"No, I'm fine," she said. "This brace is just getting on my nerves."

Bruce stood. "Well," he said, "Dick and I were just about to go on patrol. Do you want to help us from the Batcave or not?"

"Of course!" she said, rising from her chair. "Let's go."

**OoOoOoO**

Natalia sighed as she stared at the supercomputer. As happy as she was to be helping in any way, she still wished she could be fighting alongside Dick and Bruce.

Her phone vibrated, scaring the crap out of her. Upon picking it up, she realized that she had gotten a text from Cyndi.

I've been eavesdropping on Sam, it read, and it sounds like he won't be doing anything major for a month or so. I don't know if he's waiting for you to come back, or what. Please be careful!

Natalia quickly responded, then set her phone back down and rested her head in her hand. What was Sweet Tooth up to? Was she a pawn in his scheme? Not if she could help it...

**ST**

"Joe!" barked Sweet Tooth. "Get in here, goddammit!" A man rushed into the room, looking somewhat flustered.

"Yes, boss?"

"When Miss Jordyn was here," Sweet Tooth began, "did you do as I ordered?"

"Yessir," said the thug, nodding furiously. "The controller and everything."

Sweet Tooth cackled. "Wonderful! Now I've got them... What are you still doing here? GO!" Joe darted out of the room, muttering an apology as he went. Sweet Tooth pulled a small black remote out of one of his many pockets and looked at it, grinning.

"Ah, yes," he said, speaking to himself. "All I have to do is wait for Natalia to come back into action... Then I can set this plan in motion..."

**What's Sweet Tooth planning?**

**Let me remind you, literally everything from this point was written after or soon before midnight. So... Ha ha ha... Yeah...**


	35. Chapter 35

**As I've said at least three times, I'm leaving TOMORROW, so updates might be more spaced out. Also, you people still need to read The Purge by undercoverpoet. It's really good, plus my brain child Natalia is in it (don't question the term brain child...). **

**Also, I'm not super happy with this chapter. It gets the story where it needs to be, and bits of it are good, I just don't love the way it turned out. Sorry. **

**Disclaimer: Batman, Robin, Gotham and all that still belong to DC Comics. Sweet Tooth, Candy, and most associates (let's just assume pretty much all named associates for now) still belong to Starkid. I still own Natalia and nothing else. Maybe someday...**

**NJ**

**4 1/2 Weeks Later**

At last, Natalia's arm was completely healed, and she was back on nightly patrol with Dick and Bruce. It had been about a week since she began fighting again, and hardly anything had happened, the city eerily calm. The three had seen hide nor hair of Sweet Tooth, and it was worrying.

Natalia was already sitting in the Batcave. She tapped her foot as she waited for Bruce and Dick, impatient and ready to go.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Natalia stood up and made for the elevator to find the two. Just as she reached it, the door slid open and Dick and Bruce rushed out. She opened her mouth to ask why they had taken so long, but stopped when she saw the looks on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Natalia asked urgently. "What's happened?"

"Sweet Tooth's been sighted," said Dick, pausing briefly to speak. "Come on, Natalia, we have to go!"

Natalia nodded grimly, and they dashed down the short hall after Bruce. He was getting into the Batmobile when they reached it, and the two flung themselves inside as quickly as they could. Not a second after they slammed the door shut, Bruce raced off in the direction of the city.

"So, what happened?" Natalia asked. "Who saw him? Where? When? What was he doing?"

"The GCPD got an anonymous call about five minutes ago that said Sweet Tooth was in a back alley not far from Town Hall," said Dick. "They said he was alone. We're all worried that it's a trap, but we can't risk him getting away."

Natalia nodded and stared off into space. As much as she hated to admit it, she was a little scared. The last time she had confronted Sweet Tooth, she had been kidnapped and almost killed.

Natalia felt Dick put his hand on her shoulder and turned around.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

She shrugged. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "Let's catch this sick bastard before he hurts anyone else."

Dick grinned. "Couldn't have put it better myself."

After only a few more minutes of driving, Bruce pulled the Batmobile into an alley. He drove as far in as he could, then the three heroes jumped out of the car and walked slowly forward, scanning the dark alley in front of them. They crept farther and farther down the dingy street, looking for any sign of Sweet Tooth. Just as they reached the end of the alley, Natalia heard it.

_Tap, tap, tap._

The sound of a cane clicking on the pavement echoed around them. Sweet Tooth was nearby. Without a word, Natalia, Dick, and Bruce formed a small circle facing outward, trying to avoid a sneak attack. As they looked around, Sweet Tooth began to speak.

"Well, well, well," said Sweet Tooth, his voice seeming to come from everywhere at once. "Look who decided to come to our little party!" He squealed in apparent delight, clapping his hands together. "We can't treat the guests of honor like any other guests! I have a special surprise for you three!" He snapped his fingers, five huge men stepped out of the shadows.

"Ambush," Natalia hissed under her breath.

"Indeed, Miss Jordyn," she heard Sweet Tooth say. She concentrated as he spoke, trying to figure out where his voice was coming from.

"Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way," he continued. "The easy way is simply you three turning yourselves over to me." Natalia strained her ears. It seemed like his voice was coming from a shadowy doorway on the far side of the alley. "The hard way involves my men here helping me convince you that it would be better for you to come with us. Which option do you choose?"

None of the three heroes responded, and Sweet Tooth sighed melodramatically.

"I suppose we'll just have to go with the hard way, then," he said. "Get them, boys."

"I'll follow Sweet Tooth!" Natalia called as the men lumbered forward. She dove toward the doorway and wrenched the door open. She found herself in a dilapidated apartment. Standing before her was Sweet Tooth.

Without a moment's hesitation, Natalia attacked. She fought like a wildcat, following her instincts and hardly letting herself think as she fought. She became so absorbed in the fight that she didn't notice the other man standing behind her. Not until it was too late.

The man caught her arm and wrenched it behind her back, making her cry out. He grabbed her other arm as well, holding her back and preventing her from getting free. She struggled, and was about to escape the man's grip when Sweet Tooth smiled and pulled out a small black box. It seemed to be a remote of some kind.

"Not so fast, Miss Jordyn," he said gleefully. "I'm not quite done with you yet." He pressed a small button on the remote. Natalia stopped fighting instantly, unable to move.

"What the hell is this, Sweet Tooth?" she growled.

Sweet Tooth grinned. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough. I have plans for you, Chiclet, but I don't need you right now. Joe, the rag. Now!"

A rag was pressed over Natalia's face, a sickly sweet scent invading her nostrils. She felt her head begin to spin and tried to breathe as shallowly as she could, but it was no use. Natalia slipped into unconsciousness.

**DG**

"Why isn't Natalia here?" Dick said aloud, worried. "Why hasn't she let us know where she is?" He and Bruce were still in the alley, having beaten the thugs a few minutes before. Natalia still had not returned from following Sweet Tooth.

Just as Dick began to panic, he felt his phone vibrate. He whipped it out, and saw that he had one text from Natalia.

"Bruce!" he called. "Come here! It's Natalia! She says:

"_'Safe. On ST's trail. Back soon. Don't worry. I'll let you know what I find.'_ Well," Dick said slowly, "at least she's safe enough to be able to contact us. She can't be in too much trouble, right?"

Bruce nodded. "I certainly hope not, Dick."

**ST**

Not far away, Sweet Tooth cackled as he read Dick's reply text, warning Natalia to 'be safe' and 'don't follow Sweet Tooth too closely.' The boy had taken the bait, and all was going according to plan. He looked toward the back seat at Natalia. She was lying there unmoving, still unconscious, and, as an extra safety measure, bound and gagged.

How would she look as his new partner in crime?

**Uh oh... What's gonna happen?... I really have no idea because chances are I'm going to rewrite the eight chapters after this that I've already written... I'll let you know at the next update, readers... RUMBLEROAR, AWAY!**


	36. Chapter 36

**WIFI! SWEET WIFI! OH HOW I'VE MISSED YOU!**

**As you can probably figure, I'm in Disney. And I missed my Internet. So while I sit and wait for food, HERE'S A CHAPTER!**

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize still isn't mine. **

**NJ**

Natalia's head was spinning. Probably an aftereffect of whatever they had drugged her with. How many more times was she going to get kidnapped? She shook her head, trying to clear it, and took a look around the room she was in.

She was in a much nicer room than last time. It was an old bedroom, with a twin bed, a wardrobe, and small windows near the ceiling. The windows were locked from the outside, but the weak light shining through them let Natalia know that it was early morning. To her surprise, she was not bound in any way, left to roam her prison as much as she liked.

She got up and began to pace, calmly assessing the situation. Her phone had been taken, naturally, so she had no way of contacting the outside world. Sweet Tooth had captured her again, and she could only guess at the reason. The door to her room was locked, and she could hear nothing from the other side. When she turned back to the bed, about to start pacing again, she heard a quiet cough from the corner of the room.

She whirled around, settling into a fighting stance.

"Who's there?" she called.

A figure in the shadows shifted toward her, and she immediately relaxed when she realized that it was Cyndi. As Cyndi walked forward, into the light, her face was thrown into sharp relief.

Natalia rushed forward. "What happened?" she asked quietly, her eyes taking in the split lip, black eye, and bruises around her throat.

"Sam found out I was trying to help you," Cyndi whispered, her voice hoarse. "I think he might have suspected at first, but when he set up that trap last night, I tried to warn you and he noticed... It wasn't pretty."

Natalia hugged her tightly. "Oh my god, Cyndi, I am so, so sorry." She pulled out of the hug, and the two women walked over and sat side by side on the bed.

"So," Natalia began, "do you know why I'm here? Also, where exactly is here?"

Cyndi shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know why you're here. All I know is that Sam has something huge planned, and it involves you. Oh, and we're in some rich man's apartment in downtown Gotham. I think he's Sam's friend or something."

"Okay, well, I guess I'll just play along for a while until I know what's happening..." Natalia paused, thoughtful. "Another thing. What was that little remote Sam had last night? He hit a button on it, and it just kind of made me freeze. Do you have any idea what it is, or how it works?"

"Well," Cyndi said, "I know some things about it. You know how Sam knocked you out with an injection the last time he kidnapped you?" Natalia nodded, unsure how that had anything to do with it. "He put a tiny chip in the injection. When he activates it, he's able to control you. I don't know if he can actually control your actions or just prevent you from moving. I think it was just a backup in case you escaped early then, but his whole plan seems to be centered around it this time."

"Shit..." Natalia muttered. "If that thing actually works, he can make me do whatever the hell he wants... How am I supposed to fight him? Maybe if we broke the remote or something..."

"That might work," Cyndi said hesitantly, "but we need to come up with some sort of plan..."

They talked for over an hour, discussing any and all possibilities. As the time passed, Natalia became more and more anxious about Sweet Tooth's arrival. She got up and pressed her ear to the door, trying to hear any conversation outside. There was still none, so she went back to the bed and flopped down, continuing to talk with Cyndi.

Not long after, Natalia's body stiffened. She recognized the feeling from earlier; Sweet Tooth was on his way.

"Dammit, he's coming," she whispered. "We never planned anything, right?" Cyndi nodded, and the pair fell quiet, waiting.

Without warning, the door flung open and Sweet Tooth strolled inside.

"Why, hello, ladies!" he crowed, twirling his cane. "Lovely to see you!" Natalia growled, but still couldn't move.

"Ah ah ah!" Sweet Tooth said, shaking his finger. "We mustn't do that, Natalia. You must be kind to your generous benefactor!" He stepped forward and ruffled her hair. "Or, of course, I could kill you," he added as an afterthought.

"What do you want, Sam?" Cyndi asked tiredly. Sweet Tooth whipped around and grabbed her tightly by the throat.

"You," he snarled, "do not speak." He threw her on the floor, where she lay gasping. Natalia tried to reach her, tried to force herself to break free, but could not. She had to settle with glaring at Sweet Tooth.

"Why the hell am I here again?" Natalia asked, her voice shaking with anger. Sweet Tooth didn't answer immediately, taking his sweet time pulling up a chair and sitting down. "Answer me, dammit!"

His fist swung toward her face, and she tensed in anticipation of the blow. Just before his fist made contact, Sweet Tooth dropped his arm.

"No use in trying to bait me, Natalia," he said gleefully, insanely. "I regret to say I'm not planning on hurting you this time around. No, I need you this time, and not just as a punching bag." Noting the look on her face, he laughed. "Let me explain some things to you, SweetTart..."

Natalia listened as Sweet Tooth explained what she already knew. Cyndi was curled up again in her corner, clearly trying to be as small and inconspicuous as possible. The moment he finished explaining about the chip, Natalia cut in.

"I get it, I get it," she growled. "I'm not saying I'm not pissed about the fact that you're able to control literally every freaking thing I do, but again, why am I here? What the hell are you planning?"

Sweet Tooth grinned, looking just like a shark. "Why, you're to be Candy's replacement, of course! She decided to betray me, and we already know that you are just the perfect bait for the bat and the bird! They may find it a tad hard to hurt their precious Natalia, especially little Robin, so that means you will be the perfect weapon for their defeat!"

Natalia's eyes widened. "They'll never believe that I'm evil," she stammered. "They know me too well. They'll know something is wrong."

"Not if you tell them," he said with an evil smile, waving the remote in front of her face. "I'm sure once you fight them and confirm that you've been working for me, they'll be pretty convinced." He paused, enjoying the look of horror on Natalia's face.

"There is one thing I need, though, before we can get this plan in motion." He leaned toward her, a manic glint in his eye. She looked away, but he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "Who are they?"

Natalia was panicking. She couldn't move, Cyndi couldn't help her, and her friends' fates were in her hands.

"I'll tell you when hell freezes over," she hissed. Rather than getting upset, Sweet Tooth calmly picked up his remote.

"Very well," he said, grinning wickedly. "I'll just have to make you." He entered a complicated string of commands on the remote.

The moment he finished, Natalia felt an urge to tell him about Dick and Bruce. _No,_ she thought to herself, _fight it! You have to keep them safe! You_ _have to!_ It felt like the room was spinning; she could hardly breathe and was about to throw up. _DON'T DO IT!,_ she screamed at herself. Her head was pounding, she didn't know where she was, all she wanted was to black out, to die, to get away from this horrible feeling.

At last, she couldn't resist any more. "Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson!" she cried. Immediately, then pain went away. She shut her mouth immediately, but the damage was already done.

"Yes, just as I suspected," said Sweet Tooth with a smile. "Now you know what happens when you try to resist, AND I know the identities of my archenemies! Oh, this day is just going perfect!" He practically skipped out of the room, slamming and locking the door behind him. Natalia realized she could move again and collapsed, sobbing.

"What did I just do?" she blubbered. "I as good as killed them!" She felt a hand rubbing circles on her back, and looked up to see Cyndi crying as well.

"Natalia, I'm so sorry," Cyndi said She hugged Natalia tightly, letting her cry on her shoulder for a few minutes more. Once Natalia had more or less calmed down, she let go of Cyndi and sat up, wiping away her tears.

"I just..." she said, trying to find the right words. "It's just that... I feel like... If I had been stronger, maybe, I wouldn't have given up so quickly. I would have kept them safe. They'll be dead or captured in just a few hours, and it's my fault!"

Cyndi grabbed her shoulders and looked directly in Natalia's eyes. "Natalia, it's not your fault," she said sternly. "No one could have resisted that for long. Now, I need you to calm down and stop crying. We need a plan."

**DG**

"Why isn't Natalia back yet?" Dick asked Bruce as they sat down to breakfast. He was worried sick. Where had she gone?

"Well," Bruce began, "what has she told you? She's still texting you, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is," Dick said, "and she says she's fine, but I'm worried. Sweet Tooth could have her phone. She could be dead!"

"Calm down, Dick," said Bruce. "I promise, if she isn't back tonight, we'll go looking for her. Is that a deal?" Dick nodded. "Good. Let her know." Dick nodded again and sent her a message as fast as he could.

**ST**

Sweet Tooth cackled as he read Dick's text. Oh, Natalia would be there, all right. Maybe not for the reason they hoped, but she was going to be there...

**Again, there's still going to be bigger gaps between updates. I'll update as often as I can, though. Cross my heart!**


	37. Chapter 37

**I'm so rebellious. On the Internet without wifi. Such a rebel. This is the most dangerous thing I've ever done! What do you think of your straight A, potato face, forever alone, fangirl daughter now, huh? HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?!**

**Disclaimer: No disclaimer as I am now a dangerous rebel. Disclaimers are for those who conform. **

**NJ**

A few hours after Sweet Tooth had left them, Natalia and Cyndi were still discussing possible plans. Neither one of them noticed the door crack open and the package that was set just inside. However, when Natalia heard the door click shut, she whirled around and saw the box.

She walked slowly over, curiously and cautiously. Was it some sort of trick?

Natalia gingerly picked up the note laying on top of the box. She slit open the envelope, fairly sure that nothing too dangerous could be hidden in such a small space. She pulled out the slip of paper inside and quickly read it.

_Miss Jordyn,_ it read, _here is your new outfit. Put it on and get ready NOW, or there will be consequences_. At the bottom, Sweet Tooth had signed his name with a large flourish.

"Cyndi, could you help me with this box?" Natalia asked her. "It's kind of heavy." The other woman walked over, and together they heaved the package onto the bed. Quickly, they ripped open the box and pulled out Natalia's new costume.

"Hmm," mused Cyndi. "It almost looks like mine."

What she said was true. It had a similar shape to Cyndi's, and came with matching gloves and Converse. The colors, however, were completely different. The costume was mostly white, with accents of electric blue and hot pink. There was no wig with this outfit, replaced by an obnoxiously bright mask.

"I know I have to fight against Dick and Bruce, but do I have to do it in this?" Natalia asked jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Sorry, honey, but you have to," said Cyndi in response. "At least yours isn't completely covered in those awful colors. Yours just has hints of them."

Natalia sighed as Cyndi held out the costume.

"I'm not so sure about this plan, Cyndi," she said. "Too many things can go wrong. We could be killed. Everyone could be killed."

"I know, Natalia," she said quietly, "but this is the only plan where things could possibly go right. For now, we just need to go along with what he says, and when we get the chance, we'll take it." She draped the outfit over Natalia's arm and pushed her gently toward the tiny bathroom.

"Now go change. You don't want to make Sam any angrier."

**OoOoOoO**

A few minutes later, Natalia emerged from the bathroom. She fidgeted in her new costume. It was ill-fitting and hard to move in.

"Ugh. How am I supposed to do anything in this?" she complained to Cyndi. "Who can fight in a freaking dress?"

Cyndi pulled her over and began messing with the back of the dress.

"I had the same problem, Natalia," she said. "Let me see if I can fix a couple of these problems... There! That should be a little better."

Natalia nodded. "Yeah, it's not quite as bad now," she said, flopping onto the bed. "Could you hand me my utility belt?"

Cyndi tossed the belt to Natalia, who caught it easily and began rummaging through the pockets. Sweet Tooth had taken almost everything helpful out when he had taken her, but she knew there was a pocket in the liner that he probably hadn't noticed.

She pulled out the small set of tools, a triumphant look on her face.

"Those will be perfect!" Cyndi said excitedly. "They're just the right size."

"I'm so glad I had Bruce put that extra pocket on the belt," Natalia muttered as she tried to find somewhere to put it. "Now if only this dress had pockets..."

"It does," said Cyndi, walking over to Natalia. "At least, mine did. Just look around in the skirt. They should be there somewhere." The two searched in the folds of the tutu for a few minutes before finding a tiny pocket on one of the ruffles. Natalia carefully slid the tools inside, making sure that they couldn't fall out.

"Well," Cyndi said, "I guess you're ready."

"Ready as I'll ever be," Natalia sighed. "I just wish there was some other way to stop Sam. I won't be able to live with myself if either one of them gets hurt..."

**OoOoOoO**

Only about an hour or so later, Sweet Tooth entered the prison.

"Oh Miss Jordyn!" he called in a singsong voice. "It's time to go!" He fiddled with the remote for a moment, and Natalia stood up against her will. She took a few steps forward, trying not to but failing, and came to a stop right in front of him.

"Sure thing, ST," Natalia heard herself say. She hadn't wanted to say that, knew that she was being forced to by Sweet Tooth, but was still disgusted at herself.

Sweet Tooth grinned and clapped his hands. "Perfect!" he crowed. "Just lovely. Now, what to call you..." He pondered this for a second, then came up with an answer. "Dove! You'll still be a bird, but now you're mine, Sugar Baby!" he said, flicking her ponytail. She glared at him, but still couldn't speak.

"What's the matter?" Sweet Tooth asked, faking concern. "Cat got your tongue, little birdy?" He pushed her toward the door. "Time to go, SweetTart!"

Natalia tried to turn and look at Cyndi before the door slammed shut, but couldn't. She was forced to march down the stairs of the apartment complex, then down to the basement. It had been redone into Sweet Tooth's equivalent of the Batcave, with weapons and tools littered around the rooms and schematics tacked haphazardly on the walls. Sitting in the center of the room was a small, sleek, brightly colored car. Sweet Tooth led her to it, two of his thugs close behind.

She was crammed into the back seat, squished between the two burly men. Sweet Tooth slid into the front seat and pressed a button. The wall in front of them rose silently, and they sped out onto a back street. They were instantly surrounded by half a dozen cars, each one full of more of Sweet Tooth's men.

Natalia spoke up, her voice hardly more than a whisper. "Where are we going?" she asked Sweet Tooth. She hoped that they weren't going where she thought.

"Oh, we're just going to drop in on a couple of friends of yours!" said Sweet Tooth gleefully. "They might not be too happy to see us, though!" He cackled, gunned the engine, and they sped off toward Wayne Manor.

**DG**

"That's it, we need to go look for her," Dick said to Bruce, slamming his book down on the table. "We can't just sit around here and wait for her to magically show up any longer. She's in trouble, I just know it."

Bruce nodded and set his newspaper down. "I agree," he said, "we need to find her, and soon. You go-" He was cut off by the sound of the doorbell. Since Alfred was out getting some groceries, he and Dick went to answer the door. Bruce leaned forward and peered through the peephole.

"It's Natalia!" he said. "She looks a little strange, like she's frightened of something. And what is she wearing?"

"Never mind that, she needs to come inside!" Dick urged Bruce. "We need to talk to her, hear what she found out about Sweet Tooth." Bruce nodded and unlocked the door, swinging it open.

That would prove to be possibly one of the biggest mistakes he would ever make.

**Oooooooooooh. Cliiiiiiiffiiiiiiiieeee. Have fun with that. **


	38. Chapter 38

**Ugh. **

**I. DO. NOT. LIKE. THIS. CHAPTER. **

**The rest of them after this are pretty okay, I just had issues writing this one, and looking back... just ugh. Bear with me trough this one. If you think this chapter is shit, PLEASE don't abandon the story. Personally, I think it's some of my worse work. Please don't yell at me...**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything except Natalia and this shit chapter. If you can't tell by my worse-than-usual language... yeah, I'm in a bad mood today. Let's just say that I have a rather unwelcome friend here for her monthly visit. At the beach. It sucks. **

**Anyway, to the story!**

**NJ**

Natalia approached the door of Wayne Manor, trying to slow every step she took. Sweet Tooth and his henchmen were hiding in the shadows, just out of sight.

She felt her arm raise up, headed for the doorbell. Nonononononono, she thought, you can't do this, you can stop it, don't press it, nonono...

Her will was strong, but she couldn't stop. Her gloved finger pressed the doorbell, and almost immediately she heard footsteps walking toward the door. Natalia knew someone would be looking through the peephole and tried to convey every ounce of fear she felt, every warning she wanted to give them, through her eyes. She heard a hushed conversation take place on the other side of the door, and her heart sank when she heard the lock click. They had fallen for the trap, just as Sweet Tooth had said they would.

The door swung open, and there stood Dick and Bruce, both grinning like idiots.

"Natalia!" Dick exclaimed. "Thank goodness you're safe. Come on, what did you find out? Come inside and tell us!" Natalia was ushered inside by the two men, and sensed, rather than saw, the people behind her inching nearer. As Bruce shut the door behind them, her foot shot out, catching the door before it could close. She felt someone grab the door, and she released it and followed Dick and Bruce.

The three walked a little way into the entrance hall before Dick stopped and turned to Natalia.

"What's up, Natalia?" he asked. "You're acting strange. And what are you wearing? Where did you go?"

She opened her mouth to try and answer, and it was at that precise moment that the door behind her swung open.

"Hello, boys!" Sweet Tooth called as his henchmen entered behind him. Natalia felt her face unwillingly contort into a sneer, and found herself walking over to stand beside Sweet Tooth.

"Wasn't Natalia such a SweetTart to lead us to you? She's been such a help this past while!" He pecked her on the cheek, and she wanted nothing more than to vomit.

Dick and Bruce had both settled into a fighting stance. Bruce appeared calm, practically emotionless, but Dick's face was a mixture of confusion and rage.

"What have you done to her, Sweet Tooth?" he growled. "What are you planning?"

"Oh, he didn't do anything to me, bird boy," Natalia heard herself say. "I've been with him from the beginning. That whole bomb thing was just an act. A ploy to try to capture the pair of you. ST decided it would just be easier to come straight here, so we did!" She giggled, sounding just like Cyndi had during her brief time as Candy.

"Well, now that you've had the pleasure of discovering that there's been a traitor in you midst," Sweet Tooth said gleefully, "I suppose it's time for you two to come with us!" He snapped his fingers, and half a dozen men ran toward Bruce. Natalia bolted toward Dick, starting off the fight. Sweet Tooth stood watching, controlling her from afar.

**DG**

Natalia, a traitor? Dick thought to himself. No, it couldn't be true. She wouldn't do something like that. She was too sweet, too loving, too smart to be a supervillain. It just wasn't her... Right?

Dick watched as she ran toward him. Though there was a cruel sneer on her face, he thought he saw fear in her eyes. Was she afraid of him? Or was there something at work here that he didn't know about?

She lunged toward him, swinging her fist at his face. He caught it easily, but she used her momentum to kick him in the stomach. He dropped her arm and stepped back, wary.

**NJ**

"What's the matter, Dick?" she asked. "Don't like my new look?" Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Bruce. He was holding his own, but she didn't think it would be long before the men took him down.

"Not particularly," he replied. It was his turn to throw a punch, but she managed to dodge. They began a sort of dance, fighting each other but holding back. Natalia could tell that Dick was unsure if it was really her, and therefore didn't want to actually hurt her.

"Aw, does someone have a crush?" she teased, hating Sweet Tooth for making her say that. Dick colored slightly, but didn't respond. He was flustered, and Sweet Tooth saw his opportunity.

Natalia flew for him, fighting like a wildcat. She took him by surprise, and he began fighting with a new determination. The look on his face told her that he had realized she wasn't who he had thought, that she was evil now. His rage made her want to cry.

"I can't believe I could ever have loved something as horrible as you," he snarled.

Natalia's heart leapt; it had been an insult, true, but he had loved her? He had really loved her? For just a moment, she was able to stop fighting.

"Dick," Natalia stammered, "I-" Dick hit her with all of his might and she fell to the floor. As she jumped back up, she found herself pulling out the large needle Sweet Tooth had shoved into her pocket earlier. She held it tightly in her hand, careful not to let Dick see it.

Natalia jumped back into the fight, her actions now fully controlled again by Sweet Tooth. After just a moment or two, she took her chance and lunged for him again, extending the syringe in front of her. He tried to dodge, but wasn't able to in time.

Not even a second after the poisonous mix entered Dick's system, he began to weave, lightheaded. Natalia stepped away, and he collapsed almost immediately.

She took a deep breath, trying not to look at Dick's crumpled form lying in front of her. She couldn't afford to screw this up now.

Natalia strolled back toward Sweet Tooth, watching from a mile away as his other men finally took down Bruce. He and Dick were bound, gagged, carried out of the manor, and thrown unceremoniously into the back of Sweet Tooth's car. She slid into the front seat beside Sweet Tooth, and they drove off, closely followed by the other cars.

"That was fun!" Natalia said, trying to replicate the sugary-sweet tone Cyndi had shown her.

"Oh, really?" Sweet Tooth asked, raising one blue eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"Well," she began, "I just can't believe how easy they were to beat! It's kinda funny, you know? I fight with them all that time, convinced I'm on the winning side, and then you waltz in and show me how wrong I was! Maybe the villainous life is the one for me, after all..." Natalia trailed off, giving Sweet Tooth time to think about what she had just said.

***facepalms self violently* I hate this chapter so much. So effing much. I don't know why it is, I just really hate it for some reason. Oh well. I like the rest of the story well enough. I'm only a few chapters from the end. I will tentatively guesstimate that there will be *adds on fingers* ten chapters left? I think I'm on forty five now... Ten should be about right. Maybe a few more. Especially if anyone wants me to do any type of one-shot at the end. I have a vague idea of something to do with the orphanage girls, but I dunno if I'll end up writing it.**

**Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! **


	39. Chapter 39

**I FINALLY FINISHED THE CLIMAX! WOOOOOOOOOOO!**

**I keep forgetting to say this, but I LOVE YOU MY REVIEWERS! VIRTUAL COOKIES FOR ALLLLLLLL! Extra virtual cookies with special death-by-fanfiction antidote for starkid4u! I'd rather not have my fanfiction kill people. Maybe my actual books, when I write them, but not just yet. **

**Disclaimer: Batman & Co. = DC, Sweet Tooth & Co. = Starkid, Natalia = me. Simple as that. **

**NJ**

After a few minutes they reached the apartment building and pulled into the basement. A few men followed the car inside, and once Sweet Tooth parked, pulled Dick and Bruce out of the back and dragged them away. Natalia waited for Sweet Tooth to get out of the car, then skipped after him, faking a smile.

He led her up the stairs in silence. After a few moments, he spoke up.

"You sure about that?" he asked. "If you are, maybe I would be willing to let you stick around a while."

"Sure about what?" Natalia trilled. She knew what he was talking about, of course, but knew it would be best if he thought she didn't.

"That comment you made back there, SweetTart. About wanting to be a villain." They reached the apartment, and he let her inside.

"Yeah, well, I think it sounds like fun," Natalia replied, flouncing down on the couch. "Being a hero gets boring. Sometimes you have to help people you would rather just let die, and you're always getting called on to do something or another. Where's the fun in that?" He nodded slightly, staring off into space. Natalia swallowed. This next part was vital to the entire plan. If it didn't work...

"You know," she said, "I think I'm starting to like you. I mean, you were a major douche earlier, but now you seem kinda... sweet." Sweet Tooth looked up at her. Natalia couldn't tell if he was angry or what, but she pressed on. "Call it Stockholm syndrome, whatever you want, but Sam - can I call you Sam? - I think you're a pretty nice guy. Maybe we could work together." She stood up and walked for the kitchen. "For now, I'll just stick around. Not that I have much choice."

Sweet Tooth followed her into the kitchen, looking confused. Natalia turned around and faced him, putting her hands on her hips.

"You need to go take a bath. You look exhausted," she said firmly, acting concerned. "I'll make some dinner for you. Once you're done, I'll go back to my room."

The next part of the plan depended entirely on Sweet Tooth's reaction to this proposal. If he refused, the plan would be ruined.

To Natalia's surprise, he nodded in agreement. He shrugged off his jacket, set it on the back of a chair, and walked off, presumably in the direction of his room. It appeared that he hadn't realized that he had left Natalia, alone and unsupervised, in the kitchen. A bad decision on his part.

Natalia bustled around in the kitchen for a few minutes, getting some food ready. Once she heard the shower start in the other room, she made her move. As quietly as she could, Natalia dashed over to Sweet Tooth's jacket. She searched frantically through the pockets for a minute, sure it wasn't there, when her hand closed around it.

The remote.

Natalia sat down at the table and pulled the set of tools out of her skirt pocket. She flipped over the remote and examined the back for the way to reach the circuitry. When she found it, she wasted no time and got to work.

Carefully, Natalia disconnected and cut a few key wires, covering her work as she went. She moved fast, aware that she had little time until Sweet Tooth came back. A few minutes later, she leaned back and surveyed her handiwork. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.

Natalia reattached the back of the remote and slid it back into the jacket's pocket, making sure that everything was exactly as Sweet Tooth had left it. Once she was back to stirring the small pot of soup simmering on the stove, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. The remote would hopefully no longer affect her. She had pulled off the act and had successfully changed the circuitry, and not a moment too soon. Just a few seconds later, Sweet Tooth waltzed back in and flopped down at the table. She walked over and sat across from him.

"The soup's on the stove, ST," she said, still falsely cheery. "It's cheese and potato, hope you don't mind. I made some hot chocolate too, I thought you might like that. It's my mom's secret recipe."

Sweet Tooth nodded wearily, then pushed himself up out of his chair. He grabbed Natalia's arm and half dragged, half led her to her room. Without a word, he unlocked the door and held it open. Natalia stepped lightly past him, then turned back around and smiled at him.

"Night, Sam," she said with a smile. She paused just a second at the confused look on his face, then slammed the door shut.

The smile dropped off her face the moment the door was closed, and she felt her way through the pitch black room. Once she reached the bed she collapsed on it, the springs in the mattress shrieking underneath her.

"Natalia?" came a whisper from just a few inches away.

"Cyndi?"

"How did it go? Did you fix the remote?"

"It went fine, and yes, I fixed the remote," Natalia whispered sighing. "I had a long night, Cyndi. I don't really want to talk right now."

"Okay, Natalia. See you in the morning. We need to decide where to go from here." Cyndi shifted around at the end of the bed, and soon her quiet snores filled the room.

Natalia curled up in a tiny ball right by the wall. She shut her eyes, planning on thinking things over before she fell asleep. She didn't get very far. The only thought that her tired brain was able to form was _He loves me... If not now, then at least he did for a while... If only I'd told him before it came to this..._

Moments after this thought crossed her mind, Natalia drifted off into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.

**ST**

Sweet Tooth stared at the shut door, deep in thought. What the hell was he going to do about that girl? She couldn't be trusted yet, he was sure of that. But what if she had meant what she said, about being a villain, about helping him? Had he found a new potential partner? She was smart, she was pretty, and she seemed willing to follow orders - everything he needed in a sidekick.

Sweet Tooth pulled the remote out of his pocket and looked down at it, flipping it over in his hands a few times. At least she hadn't taken it or, as far as he could tell, tampered with it in any way while he had been in the shower. It had been a test, of course, to see if he could trust her. There was still no way to be sure, though.

He slipped the remote back into place, then walked back to the kitchen and sat down at the table, resting his head in his hands.

What was a supervillain to do?

**So, in the main story, there are only... I think six chapters left. Until the climax, at least. I'll do a little resolution chapter, but other than that, not much farther to go!**


	40. Chapter 40

**Hello Fanfictioners! I have two bits of fabulous news! One, I am done writing the main story! And two I HAVE FOUND WIFI AT LAST!**

**But yeah, the story isn't much longer. My friend keeps saying that Natalia needs to go to a mental hospital for PTSD treatment... After all the shit that happens to her in this story, I have to admit she's probably right. **

**Disclaimer: Hah. Hah hah. Funny that you think I actually OWN stuff. I don't. Just Natalia. That's it. **

**NJ**

Bright light flooded into the small room. Natalia slit open one eye, just enough to be able to see. What she saw astounded her, and she immediately opened her eyes all the way.

Dick was sitting in the corner, tied up and gagged. He appeared to be asleep, but Natalia didn't think so. Knowing him, he had noticed her stir and faked sleep. Most likely he still thought she was evil and wanted her to believe that he was still drugged.

Why had Sweet Tooth put him in here with her? Did he really think she was on his side? _No,_ Natalia thought, _he probably put him in her since he still believes he can control me. That way, he would just drive both of us further over the edge. But where's Bruce? Wait, probably in a safer spot. He may trust me with Dick, but it would be just plain stupid to put the two of them together. _

She looked around the room. It seemed that Cyndi was still asleep, curled up, catlike, at the foot of the bed. There was no one else near, as far as Natalia could tell, so she slid off the bed and crept over to Dick. She checked the bonds, but they were made of some sort of reinforced cord that she was unable to break. Along with that, there was a heavy lock that she assumed would help keep his hands together. She sighed and crouched beside him, then shook his shoulder gently.

"Dick," she whispered. "You need to get up. Now. Come on, Dick, wake up!" On the third shake his eyes snapped open. The moment he saw her, confusion flitted across his features, quickly replaced by a look of pure loathing.

"Mmmph," he mumbled, the words indistinguishable through the gag. The meaning was clear, though- Why the hell are you talking to me?

"Dick, please trust me," Natalia said. "I would untie you, but there's a lock and I don't have a key. I'm going to take this gag off though, but you have to stay quiet. Sweet Tooth could come here at any second." Carefully, she pulled out the gag. Dick continued to glare at her, though he didn't make a sound. Strange how simply looking at Natalia caused her more pain than words ever could.

After a few moments of silence, she whispered, "I am so, so sorry, Dick. Please forgive me. I-I never wanted any of this to happen."

"If you care about me so much," he hissed, "then why the hell are you on his side? I can't believe I ever trusted you."

"Look, please just let me explain, Dick. I'm not on his side, I'm-"

Dick looked at her in disbelief. "Not on his side? Not on his side? Tell me, then, why you're here. Why you told him who we are. Why you knocked us out and brought us here. Why you were being so nice to Sweet Tooth - and yes, I heard some of that. In what world does everything you've done not make you evil?"

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She knew that what he said made sense, knew she would have precisely the same questions if she was in his place. Still, knowing how much he clearly loathed her made her heart break.

"How can I prove to you that I'm not on his side?" Natalia asked quietly. "I can tell you, but you won't believe without some type of proof, and I don't have any."

Dick's eyes were hard and cold, and he showed no sympathy.

"Start by telling me your story," he said. "Then we can talk about proof."

Natalia spoke quickly, telling him everything and leaving nothing out. As she spoke, Dick seemed to believe her a little more.

"Natalia," he said once she had finished, "I want to believe you. I just... I can't. How do I know that this isn't just another part of the plan?"

"I don't know..." she said, picking nonexistent lint off her skirt. She reached into the pocket and pulled out a small cluster of wires that she had taken from the remote. "This is the closest thing I've got to proof," she said, twisting it in her hands.

"Could I see that?" Dick asked. Wordlessly, Natalia set it in his lap. He bent over, examining it closely. "What is this from?"

"Sweet Tooth's remote."

"Well, if it really is..." Dick hesitated. "If it really is from that remote, I think I will believe you. This looks like it's part of the main section of the circuitry, and if it is, the device wouldn't work..." He looked straight at her, searching her face for a sign of lying. "Is it really? Can I trust you?"

"It is, I swear."

"Cross your heart?"

Natalia grinned a bit at this. "Yes, I cross my heart," she swore, making an x over her heart.

Dick nodded. "Well, then I guess we- Who is that?" He jerked his head toward the bed, where it appeared that Cyndi had just woken up.

"This is Cyndi," Natalia replied, getting up and dragging the still half-asleep woman over to where Dick was sitting. "She's been helping to plan everything."

"Nice to see you again, Dick," Cyndi yawned. "I'm assuming Natalia explained everything that is going on?"

"Almost," said Natalia. "I was just about to tell him about the plan when you woke up."

Cyndi nodded. "Well I'm up now, so what are you waiting for? Let's go over it again."

They began to lay out the details of their plan, speaking in hushed voices.

"I'm not sure I like it," he said once they had explained, "but it's our only choice, isn't it?"

Cyndi nodded. "All we need to know now is what Sam is planning. Then we'll know exactly what we need to do."

"Speaking of Sam," said Natalia, "we need to tie you up again so he won't notice anything." She retied the gag and helped him move back to exactly where he had been before. Wordlessly, she walked back to the bed. Shutting her eyes, she allowed herself to think.

What had she gotten herself into this time?

**So yup. That's my chapter. Now that I have wifi, I'll try to update at least every other day. I would say I'll update tomorrow, but I'll be in New York then, so that probably won't happen. But anyway, hope you're enjoying the story! Please read and REVIEW!**


	41. Chapter 41

**La la la la la... I am almost done with the after-story wrap-up story thing... Plus I'm at the beach... And re-reading A Series of Unfortunate Events... So overall I'm quite happy right about now. I'm considering getting a henna tattoo while I'm here of the word "Always," but with the Deathly Hallows symbol instead of the A. Kinda like how Dumbledore sighted his name in that letter to Grindelwald. ANYWAY, here's another chapter for buy fabulous readers. **

**Disclaimer: Again, it's funny that it's even necessary for me to put this. I'm not creative enough to think up a superhero that dresses up as a bat. Or a Robin. Or villains whose theme is candy. Or a city full of some of the worst crime ever. All I've got is a dancer superhero person. And guess what? I ACTUALLY HAVE A NEW ORIGINAL CHARACTER IN THIS STORY SOON! CELEBRATION!**

**NJ**

About an hour later, Natalia guessed sometime around midday, the door swung open. Dick tensed instantly, ready for Sweet Tooth, and Natalia sat up, trying to put something resembling a smile on her face.

Sweet Tooth entered with a huge grin on his face. He looked momentarily startled at Natalia's expression, but recovered quickly.

"Morning, Dick!" he cried, smacking Dick on the head and almost making him lose his balance. Anger flashed through Natalia's eyes for a split second, but luckily he was too distracted to notice. Crouching down to Dick's level, Sweet Tooth leered at him.

"Nice night, Grayson?" he hissed. "Have fun catching up with your girlfriend- oh no, I'm sorry, partner. Co-worker. Whatever. My bad." Dick fixed him with the same stony glare he had given Natalia not long before. She had to admit, if she was Sweet Tooth she would be quaking in her Converse.

"Heya, ST!" she said, trying to take his attention from Dick. It worked, and Sweet Tooth whirled around to face her.

"Morning, Sugar Baby!" he said with a smile. It seemed like all his doubt of her had been erased, and he truly thought they were on the same side. Either that or he was just torturing Dick.

Natalia grinned, waving slightly. "Everything going according to plan?"

In a flash, Sweet Tooth had her by the throat. "Don't ask about the plan, Dove," he hissed in her ear as she struggled to get away. "I thought you were smart enough to know not to." He tossed Natalia back on the bed and she sat up, rubbing her throat. Now she knew how Cyndi felt.

Glancing over at Dick, she noticed him staring daggers at Sweet Tooth. She caught his attention an made a small hand gesture, warning him to be careful and telling him not to worry at the same time.

"Well, all right," Natalia said, keeping with her falsely cheery tone, "how was your night, then? Did ya sleep well?"

Sweet Tooth looked at her closely, surprised that she didn't seem to be bothered by his mood swing. While he watched, he noticed her eyes flicker to Dick just for a second. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Dick glaring at him. A grin split his face, and he turned his attention back on Natalia.

"Indeed I did, Miss Jordyn," he said, sitting down on the cot next to her. "Although it would have been much improved if a certain superherione was there too." He planted a kiss on her cheek, and Natalia had to hold back a shudder. She twisted her grimace into a smile, then gently pecked him on the cheek as well.

"I like you, Sweet Tooth!" she said with a small giggle. She noticed Dick try to break free again, as did Sweet Tooth. In a flash, there was a loaded gun pointed at Dick's face.

"I wouldn't try anything if I was you, Grayson," growled Sweet Tooth. "Trust me, you'll just make everything harder on yourself." Dick froze, and Natalia managed a halfhearted smirk in his direction.

"Yeah, bird boy," she sneered. "Stop being such an idiot." This had the desired effect, and Sweet Tooth turned back to her, slipping his gun back into his pocket.

"Now, Miss Jordyn," he said, his grin now returning, "you keep an eye on little D here. I've got to go prep for Batboy's attack."

"Oh, so he didn't get captured?" she asked, feigning disinterest as hope blossomed in her chest.

"No, he was captured, Dove. He just escaped. Well, we let him, but either way, he's not here." Sweet Tooth ruffled her hair, then stepped back toward the door, kicking Dick on the way there. "Anyway, I've got places to go, deaths to plan! See you Three Musketeers later!"

Natalia waited for just a minute or two after he left to begin talking again.

"Should we be relieved or worried?" she wondered aloud. "Bruce escaped, but-"

"Sam let him," finished Cyndi as she undid Dick's gag. "That's never a good sign."

"There's always the possibility that he could be lying, though," added Dick the second he could talk again.

Natalia sighed. "I don't think that was a lie. I just have this feeling... Any plan he could have would work better with Bruce on the outside."

"That would make sense," admitted Dick, nodding, "but still, what is he planning?"

"My guess," Cyndi said, "is that he probably was planning to keep Bruce captive. He probably realized, though, that having Bruce here wasn't going to help anything."

"Yes, but still, what is he planning?" asked Dick again, exasperated.

Cyndi shrugged. "I imagine Sam's planning on using the two of you as ransom, or some kind of insurance to keep him from attacking just yet." She turned to face Natalia. "Has he let anything slip? Anything at all?"

"Nothing," said Natalia, shaking her head. "He trusts me a bit, but clearly not much. Not enough to tell me anything yet. He's probably planning something huge, though... Something he knows Bruce can't stop on his own."

"And he knows about the plane this time," added Dick. "So that's not going to help."

"We've got to figure something out," said Cyndi. "A lot of people could die if we don't. And we'll probably be first."

**And before you bother asking, no, I could not resist making that AVPS reference. You wouldn't have been able to either. I mean, COME ON. I could make so many more hilariously pathetic attempts at subtle references, but I don't. So be happy. **


	42. Chapter 42

**So... Let me say something about this chapter. This, along with a few before it, was written around 2:30, maybe 3:00 in the morning during finals week. That's when I write, when I get my best ideas, etc. I like the actual chapter well enough, it's just... Sweet Tooth's plan *shudders*. I really hate it for whatever reason. It makes sense, it's different from his last one, and I'm sure there's a scientific way to distribute it correctly. I just really hate it. I couldn't rewrite it, because by the time I realized how much I didn't like it I had already written quite a bit more. So yeah. That's it. After this lengthy note, it's time for a new chapter. **

**Disclaimer: OH MY ROWLING I CAN'T BELIEVE IT I ACTUALLY OWN SOMEONE OTHER THAN NATALIA THAT IS ACTUALLY RELEVANT TO THE PLOT**

**I AM SO PROUD**

**NJ**

About an hour later, the door creaked open. No one entered immediately, but the three knew better than to keep talking. Within just a few seconds of the door opening, a gun poked through, held in a shaking hand.

"Nobody move," said a timid voice from the other side of the door. "I don't want to have to use this." A boy, probably about Dick's age, poked his head inside. "I just need Natalia Jordyn."

Dick and Cyndi glanced at Natalia. There was a chance, if they took the boy by surprise, that they could overcome him. Small, but it was there.

Natalia hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. They couldn't risk any of them getting hurt, and even if they weren't shot, she couldn't risk blowing what little cover she had.

She stood up, brushing off her skirt. As she sashayed over to the door, she smiled at the boy. Once they exited the room and he shut the door behind him, he stopped pointing the gun at her head. This confirmed her thought - there weren't any guards in the immediate vicinity, and he was too frightened to do anything to her.

"Who are you?" she whispered. The boy jumped, surprised. His eyes narrowed, searching her face, making sure he could trust her. He must not have found anything wrong, because he replied quickly.

"I'm Jeffery Walker," he said. "My dad used to work for the guy who lives here, but he disagreed with Sweet Tooth... So he's dead now. Sweet Tooth decided I would be perfect as a lackey. Honestly," he added, his voice hardly audible, "all I want now is to run away, but he'll find me."

Natalia set a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry." Jeffery looked at her like he only just realized who she was.

"Crap, you're Mockingbird!" he yelped. "I didn't know that! Why are you helping Sweet Tooth? Why don't you escape? Where are Batman and Robin?"

"Robin is here. He was the other person in that room with me and Cyndi - Sweet Tooth's wife, you know, Candy," she explained. "I don't know where Batman is. I'm not escaping because I can't. If I did, or if Robin did, the other would be killed. And helping Sweet Tooth... Well, that's part of the plan. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. More or less."

Jeffery looked at her like she was crazy for a moment, then nodded. He led her down a hallway, toward the main study. Just before they reached the door, he turned to her.

"Look," he said, "Mockingbird - don't argue, I'm calling you that no matter what - please be careful. Sweet Tooth can't take over. You, Batman, and Robin are the best hope Gotham has. Please just... don't make him mad. Even if you can't get out, you can't d-die. That's the worst thing that could happen right now. I'll help however I can."

"I'll try my best, Jeffery. Just promise that you'll be careful, too. Don't do anything rash."

Before he could respond, the lock on the door in front of them clicked open. Quickly, before someone could see that they had been talking, Jeffery tied a small length of cord around her wrists and pressed his gun between her shoulders.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I was ordered to tie you up the second we left your room." Natalia nodded, and the door swung open. Jeffery pushed her forward, and she tripped and fell. The floor was rushing up to meet her when a hand caught her shoulder.

"A bit clumsy for a dancer, aren't you?" said Sweet Tooth, chuckling.

"I wouldn't be if your idiot henchman hadn't tied my hands," spat Natalia. She shot a venomous glance toward Jeffery, startling the poor boy. She hoped he realized that she was just acting. "Honestly, where do you train these people?"

Sweet Tooth shrugged. "Walker here is more of a lackey than anything else. He's younger than you; what do you expect?" He turned to Jeffery, hand outstretched. "Leave now, Walker," he commanded, "and give me your gun. You aren't needed."

"Yes sir, Sweet Tooth," Jeffery replied. He shot one more worried look in Natalia's direction, then left.

"Don't even think about trying anything, Dove," said Sweet Tooth as he untied her wrists. "You may not see them, but my men are ready to take you down the second you make a wrong move." Once they were free, she began rubbing them, as if they had been tied much longer.

"No problem ST," she said. "You need some new staff though. Walker's an idiot."

"Yes he is," Sweet Tooth said with a chuckle. "He's good with simple tasks, though. A tad squeamish too, but I can fix that. I think I'll hang on to him a little while longer."

He walked over to an oversize chair sitting in front of a wall of computer screens, Natalia just a few paces behind. He sat and stared intently at them, and Natalia reluctantly moved forward and perched on one of the arm rests.

"So," she chirped, pretend annoyance aside, "why'd ya bring me here?"

"This," he said, gesturing at the screen. "The Plan. Isn't it beautiful? Quite simple, really. Care to take a stab at what it is?"

Natalia examined the data flashing on the screen closely, scanning for anything she thought she recognized. A few formulas felt familiar to her, but she'd never seen it all jumbled together like this...

That's when it hit her.

"Mind control..." she breathed, glancing at Sweet Tooth's face for confirmation. The smirk on his face told her she was right. Turning her attention back on the monitors, she continued, "It's wonderfully simple, but still amazingly complex. The perfect trap. As for the method of distribution... I'm guessing the water supply?"

Sweet Tooth glanced at her sharply. "How did you-"

"Old favorite," she cut in with a shrug. "Used to be pretty popular, but I doubt anyone will expect it now. No one's tried it for a while, and never like this. Never so... brilliantly."

A grin found its way back to his face. "Of course it's never been done like this before! I'm the smartest villain Gotham has ever seen!"

"So..." Natalia paused, shifting slightly closer to Sweet Tooth, "who are you planning on controlling? I'd love to help."

"Gordon, of course, a few congressmen, the mayor. Important figures. You were the... test run, shall we say. Their control will be much more absolute."

"How are you planning on administering it to only them? And what will you make them do?"

"That first part is easy," he said. "I have enough knowledge of this city to know exactly where each pipe leads, to what office in what building. I simply lace the inside of those specific pipes." Genius, Natalia thought. "Now, what I plan to do is more complex. I'll use them for a while, making what I want to happen happen. Make Gotham slip closer and closer to anarchy. Then I'll just kill them, give the citizens the extra little push they need. After that, I'll just sit back and enjoy the show!

"Ah, and I also have some insurance, if you will," he continued. "I have planted a bomb in the sewers, and if anyone gets any funny ideas, then it's good bye, Gotham. The threat of it should help as well." He leaned back in his chair, pleased with his plan.

"That," Natalia said slowly, "is not only the most genius plan I have ever heard, but the most devious as well." She paused for a second, pretending to mull over the plan. "But wait. What are we going to do about Batman?"

Sweet Tooth grinned. "That, SweetTart, is where my true genius shows. You see, he's hell bent on rescuing Bird Brain. He's also determined to get you back on the "right" side. He'll be too distracted by the two of you to realize what's happening until it's too late. I know from past experience that he's far more willing to save his friends than his city." Natalia opened her mouth to ask another question, but Sweet Tooth interrupted her.

"And before you ask, I know Superman helped last time. He won't now. Lex Luthor and I made an... arrangement at golf. He keeps Superman busy, and I'll help him defeat Superman afterward."

"That... is the greatest plan I've ever heard. I doubt Wayne will be able to stop us," Natalia said with a grin, trying to smooth over the fact that she had just implied that she and Sweet Tooth were now partners. She hoped he wouldn't notice and get upset. The plan was brilliant, and she needed to be on his good side to carry out their counter plan.

"No he won't," said Sweet Tooth, tapping Natalia on the nose. "We'll be unstoppable!" He turned back toward the screens. "Now, Dove, we only have a day until the plan is set in motion. Let's get started, shall we?"

**OoOoOoO**

Natalia returned to her prison about three hours later.

"What did he want?" Cyndi asked immediately.

Natalia quickly explained the plan to them.

"That can't be good..." muttered Dick.

"No, no it isn't," Natalia sighed. "But Jeffery is going to help us as much as he can, and Sweet Tooth trusts me completely."

"As completely as he can trust, at least," said Cyndi.

"Yes, as completely as he can trust," Natalia repeated. She leaned back against the wall, staring out one of the windows. "You know," she mused, "we have a chance of beating him. However small it may be, Sweet Tooth could be gone, for good this time, before long."

"It'll take a lot of work, and careful planning, and determination," added Cyndi.

"But we have all of that," finished Dick. "We just need an opportunity."

"And that'll come tonight," Natalia confirmed. "He's making a ransom video, and the two of us," she gestured to Dick, "are expected to be there."

**Yeah, so I just really hate that... I hate it a tad less now, but still. We're only about... six-ish chapters until the end. **

**But hey, who appreciated my new character's name? His middle name is Dylan... I'm a little too obsessed sometimes...**


	43. Chapter 43

**So now that I've completely written the story and messed with my characters all I wanted, I can't seem to finish. That's just great. **

**Also, sorry I didn't post yesterday like I meant to. I'm at the beach, for one thing. Also, you know my friend that's writing a story with Natalia in it? Yeah well I got bored and wrote a scene for her story just for the heck of it... It was a torture scene... Dunno what inspired me to write that at two in the morning... But according to her it was really good and I described torture and her character's insanity very well... Dunno how I feel about that quite yet. **

**Oh, and also, I will warn you, only one fuck will be given this chapter *tries not to laugh at her feeble attempt at a joke* Other than that. And it's in a quote from the musical... So yeah. **

**Disclaimer: Natalia and Jeffery are MINE.**

**NJ**

They were summoned late that night, almost midnight. Natalia assumed that it would be easiest for Sweet Tooth to plant the chemicals late at night, rather than during the daytime. The actual attack would come the next day.

Surprisingly enough, Jeffery came to get them. Sweet Tooth must have decided he was trustworthy as well. While Dick's hands were bound and he was led at gunpoint, Natalia couldn't help but be slightly heartened at the fact that she was allowed to walk freely.

As they approached Sweet Tooth's computer room, Natalia heard Jeffery whisper to her and Dick.

"Mockingbird, Robin," he said, hardly audible even to Natalia, clearly trying to keep anyone from realizing they were talking. "I can't help during the video. I think I'm recording it, so I can't say anything in the back. Robin, you won't be able to do anything. You'll be tied up, I assume. Gagged too. Mockingbird, I think he's going to have you help him talk about the plan, so you'll have to act evil. You've got to figure out a way to get a message to Batman, though. Some way that Sweet Tooth won't notice." He said this all very quickly, still staring straight ahead and pressing his gun between Dick's shoulders.

Dick nodded, and Natalia replied out of the corner of her mouth.

"All right," she whispered. "I'm sure there's a way to get the message across. I can mouth words, make symbols. I know a bit of sign language. I'll figure it out, do things while he isn't looking."

Jeffery nodded slightly in approval, and then they reached the door. Natalia couldn't help it; her heart was about to beat out of her chest. She was about to put on the biggest act of her life. If she wasn't discovered, it would be a miracle.

She allowed herself to be afraid for just a second, then steeled herself and waited for the door to open.

**DG**

Before the door opened, Dick glanced at Natalia. He was nervous, for her, for himself, for Cyndi, even for Jeffery. What would happen if something went wrong?

He had it easiest right now, he had to admit. By far, he was most worried for Natalia. She was a fantastic actress, he knew it, but this was different. This was life or death, not for just them, but for millions of people.

Dick saw fear flash through her eyes for a split second before it was replaced by a hard, cold glare. The door creaked open, and her features immediately composed themselves into some sort of happy smirk.

Here goes nothing, Dick thought as the door swung fully open.

**NJ**

"Hello, Sugar Baby!" Sweet Tooth said cheerily as he pulled open the door.

"Hey ST!" said Natalia with a sickly sweet smile. Ugh. How had Cyndi managed to do this for so long?

Sweet Tooth ushered them inside, and Natalia took this as a moment where she could prove she was on his side now. She could still sense doubt, most of all when it came to Dick. It was time to quash that.

She yanked the gun out of Jeffery's hand and pressed it against the back of Dick's head.

"Move it, bird brain!" she snarled, pushing him forward. Dick turned and glared at her, but a tiny bit of appreciation was hidden there too. He was glad she had thought quickly. He knew Sweet Tooth still didn't trust her.

She shoved him again, and this time Dick stumbled past Sweet Tooth and into the room, Natalia behind him and Jeffery coming in last, shutting the door.

Dick's eyes widened a fraction at the walls of monitors, but he showed no other outside sign of his amazement or worry. He struggled as two of Sweet Tooth's men tied him to a chair, but it was just for show. If he actually escaped... Though it may seem counterintuitive, they would be screwed, and they all knew it.

"So, Dove," said Sweet Tooth, throwing his arm around Natalia's shoulders, "are you ready?"

"Absolutely!" she trilled, grinning up at Sweet Tooth. "Where should I stand?" When she asked this, she wriggled out of his grip, stepping in Dick's direction, a carefully calculated slightly confused look on her face.

"Ah, hmm," said Sweet Tooth, seeming to ponder his options. "Stand behind Grayson. When Wayne sees that, he'll be pissed. I know it." Natalia nodded and moved behind Dick. Sweet Tooth stood in front of them, Jeffery ducked behind the camera, and the recording began.

**BW**

"Master Bruce?" Bruce heard Alfred call from the entrance to the Batcave. "I have something for you."

"Unless it's Dick or Natalia, I don't want it," he growled. He was busy trying to find their location using their cell phones, but it wasn't working.

"Well, sir," said Alfred, shuffling over to stand behind him, "in a way it is." Bruce glanced sharply up at him, and Alfred passed him a DVD. Without another word, Bruce turned and slid it into the supercomputer.

The screen lit up with a familiar grainy shot. This time, it appeared to be only of Sweet Tooth.

"Hello, Brucey!" Sweet Tooth said with a smile. Bruce grimaced at the use of his secret identity. Villains were figuring heroes' identities out faster than ever now.

"Here's the thing, Bruce," said Sweet Tooth, stepping even closer to the camera. "I have a plan that I'm setting in motion as we speak, and you are powerless to stop me. Powerless, that is, unless you're willing to sacrifice your two sidekicks - well, one, now. Natalia here has... changed. Just a bit." He stepped aside, and Bruce was able to see Dick, tied up and gagged, and Natalia standing behind him, a smirk on her face.

Natalia flounced over to stand beside Dick. "Sorry Bruce," she said. "I find the life of a villain to be far more rewarding."

"So Bruce. I'll tell you a bit about the plan. Not enough for you to stop us, just enough so you'll feel hopeless. We have a certain... something planned with the water supply. Long story short, it in itself shouldn't kill the citizens. However, it will go into effect at a mystery time at some point during the day tomorrow. Let me tell you, it'll be even more of a Fun Dip than last time." Bruce thought he noticed Natalia motioning in the background, but he wasn't paying much attention. He could look after he listened.

"We've also got a bomb planted. If anyone, including you, tries any funny business, Gotham will cease to exist." Bruce could still see Natalia doing something, and it was beginning to get on his nerves. She had already betrayed him and Dick; did she really think he would pay her any attention now?

Sweet Tooth explained the plan for a bit more, though never with any details. After about two, maybe three minutes of video, Natalia walked over to stand beside him.

"Don't be an idiot, Bruce," she snarled. "Save yourself while you can. You're powerless to stop us. Don't bother trying." Just as she finished, Dick managed to undo his gag.

He opened his mouth to yell something at Bruce, whether advice, information, or just a plea for help, he couldn't be sure. Before Dick could utter so much as a word, Sweet Tooth swung his cane at his head, and it connected with a sickening crack. Dick fell back, his body limp, and did not move.

The feed cut off immediately after that.

Bruce rewound the video and watched it a second time, skipping over the end. It was his third time watching it that he noticed something. When Natalia had said that he was powerless to stop them, she had shaken her head ever so slightly - not enough for Sweet Tooth to notice during the recording, but just enough for someone watching to. This made him wonder - what had she been doing in the background throughout the video?

Bruce rewound the disk yet again, starting when he had first noticed her moving.

"Alfred!" he called at the top of his lungs.

"Yes?" Alfred's voice came from directly behind Bruce, startling him a bit. Alfred must've been behind him the entire time.

"I need you to watch this with me," Bruce said. "I think Natalia might be trying to say something." Alfred nodded, and they both leaned close to the screen.

The first motion came when Sweet Tooth stated that something would be put in the water at a mystery time. Natalia held out three fingers, keeping them well out of Sweet Tooth's range of vision, then quickly said the letters P and M using sign language.

"Three p.m..." Bruce muttered as he wrote the time down on a notepad, then pressed play again. Soon after, Natalia began signing again. First the letters A, P, and T, then the numbers 1, 7, 1, and 3.

"Apartment 1713," said Bruce, recording that as well. The second he looked up, Natalia motioned again - a 4, 2, and 3. She then made a few movements with her hands that didn't fit either numbers or sign language. Bruce watched the second part of the message, confused.

"Alfred, are you getting this?" he asked, turning to the butler. "Do you have any idea what she's saying?"

"Well, Master Bruce, she's not using any form of sign language I know. Maybe," he said, pausing thoughtfully, "maybe she's trying to say words at a time instead of letters. It could be that she's using a common symbol to represent a word." Bruce nodded and started the video again, trying not to think about Dick possibly dying.

The first thing she did was tap her fourth left finger, about where a ring would be.

"I think that would be 'Marry,'" said Bruce, more to himself than to Alfred. Natalia seemed to hesitate, then held out one finger, shook her head a tiny bit, then held out two more.

"Three?" Alfred suggested. "One dash three, perhaps?" Bruce shook his head.

"No, not that," he said. They both sat for a moment, thinking when Bruce was suddenly struck with an idea.

"More!" he blurted. "One wasn't enough; she wanted more!" Quick as a flash, he typed '423 Marrymore' into the Batcave's locator, ignoring some war story Alfred was telling him.

A blue dot popped up on the screen. The address was for an apartment building in downtown Gotham.

That had to be where they were, Bruce thought. He had to save Dick, the city too. Maybe now... Maybe Natalia was actually good now.

He walked toward the Batmobile, but Alfred stood in his way.

"Master Bruce, it could be a trap."

"Well, if it is," Bruce paused. "If it is, then fuck Gotham, I'm saving them!"

**So yes, I feel terrible about doing that to Dick. And no, I don't know if there's a Marrymore Road in Gotham. Actually, I highly doubt it. I was just trying to think of something easy to sign. **

**Only a few chapters from the end now, guys! Thanks for sticking with me!**


	44. Chapter 44

**La la la la la la la la CLIMAX TIME! YAAAAAAAAAY! Just wanted to say, thanks again to my super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot readers/reviewers/followers and/or favoriters! I realized I have somewhere around 150 readers the other day, which is a lot for me, as I usually never let anyone read my stories. So thanks from being a lovely audience! Virtual cookies for all!**

**Disclaimer: The Batman universe belongs to DC Comics. The Holy Musical B man aspects belong, of course, to Team Starkid. Natalia and Jeffery are mine. And OI reserve all rights to Candy's alter ego of Cyndi. (Happy? You got a more or less proper disclaimer this time.)**

**NJ**

Dick, still unconscious, was thrown into their prison. Natalia sauntered in after, a smirk still on her face. The second the door shut behind her, she rushed forward and checked his pulse. It was there, and it was still fairly strong, but he wasn't waking up.

"Cyndi," Natalia said, her voice tense. "Help me get him to the bed." Silently, the two carried the unconscious hero over and carefully laid him down.

"What happened to him?" Cyndi asked.

"We were making the video," Natalia began, "and everything was fine. Toward the end, Dick got his gag to come off. I don't know what he was thinking, but..." she swallowed, trying to hide her worry as best as she could. "I think he tried to say something, but Sweet Tooth took his cane and just hit him, as hard as he could, over the head with it. I-I couldn't do anything. He hasn't moved since then. Someone had to carry him back."

Cyndi nodded. "I think the best we can do for him now is just let him lie down, and be quiet. We don't have any first aid supplies, but I don't think Sam would hit him hard enough to kill. I think he's holding Dick as insurance, sort of. He isn't sure if Bruce would come to save you, since he thinks you're evil, but he wouldn't hesitate to save Dick." Natalia nodded in agreement. She'd been thinking the same thing.

"Speaking of which," Cyndi continued, "were you able to get the message to Bruce?"

Natalia nodded yet again. "I think he'll figure it out quickly," she said. "I'm a bit worried about the street name, but Bruce is a genius. Marrymore shouldn't be that hard to figure out."

"No, it shouldn't," agreed Cyndi. "I guess now we just wait. We've planned the hell out of this thing, and we can't do much from here." She leaned up against the foot of the bed and closed her eyes, but Natalia knew she wouldn't sleep.

Natalia looked around the room for a minute, then walked over and picked up a small stool, carrying it back to the bed. She sat down and took Dick's hand in hers.

"Please be okay," she whispered, too quiet for Cyndi to hear. "I can't lose you."

About ten minutes later, Dick's eyes fluttered open. He looked around for a moment, confused by his surroundings, then squeezed his eyes shut.

"What happened?" he murmured, his voice barely audible. "The last thing I remember is the ransom video, but I don't remember finishing that." He moved his hand to the back of his head and winced.

"At the end of the video, your got your gag to come off. You tried to say something, I don't know what, and then Sweet Tooth hit you in the head with his cane. That was fifteen, maybe twenty minutes ago. You haven't so much as twitched since then." she explained. "I was scared you would die," she added quietly.

Dick opened his eyes. "I think I should be all right," he said, reassuring her. "I'll just have a terrible headache for a while."

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Natalia, concerned. "Dick, you could've died. I don't care that Cyndi says he wouldn't have, Sweet Tooth could have killed you. We could be close to getting out, and I just... I can't lose you. Not when we're so close."

"I'm going to be fine, I promise," Dick said, sitting up slowly.

"Cross your heart?"

He smiled. "Cross my heart."

**OoOoOoO**

At about two thirty in the afternoon the next day, Natalia and Dick were called again to see Sweet Tooth. Luck would have it that it was again Jeffery who escorted them to Sweet Tooth's computer room.

"They delivered the video about an hour ago," he murmured to the pair. "I think the idea was to make sure he doesn't know about it in time to stop it." Natalia nodded, then knocked lightly on the door.

"Who is it?" Sweet Tooth's voice asked from the other side.

"It's Natalia!" she called, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. God, her own voice made her want to be sick.

The door swung wide open, and Sweet Tooth welcomed them in with a wide grin. Clearly, everything was going according to plan - his plan. Hopefully not for much longer.

"Ah, perfect timing, you three!" he crowed. "Walker, get Grayson set up over there." he waved his hand in the direction of a small chair in the corner.

For the next few minutes, Sweet Tooth talked on and on about his plans for Gotham, and perhaps even the country, one day. Natalia was worried, true, but she only paid half attention to what he was saying, occasionally nodding or murmuring her assent. Meanwhile, she scoured the shadows and camera screens for any sign of Bruce. Was he coming? She was growing more and more worried as the seconds ticked past. Could he make it in time?

Not five minutes until three, Natalia thought she saw a movement in the shadows. She looked closely, but nothing seemed to be there. After a few more seconds she made to glance away again, but there was a small flicker of movement. Had that been a cape she saw moving from the corner of her eye? That white flash the sole of a pair of Converse sneakers? There was no way to know for sure, but somehow Natalia was certain. It had to be Bruce. It just had to be.

"Walker!" Sweet Tooth barked. "Bring me the remote!" Jeffery quickly walked over to pass yet another remote to Sweet Tooth. Unlike the one that had previously controlled Natalia, the one Sweet Tooth seemed to have forgotten about, this only had one large, red button in the center. Jeffery's hand shook as he passed the remote to Sweet Tooth. Somehow it comforted Natalia to know that he was nervous, too.

Sweet Tooth turned and presented to remote to her with a flourish. "Care to do the honors?" Here it was. The final test of her loyalty to him, to see if she was truly a villain.

With a grin, she took the remote.

Her finger a hair away from pressing the button, she paused and looked directly into Sweet Tooth's eyes.

"This is for you, Sweet Tooth."

Just as the tip of her finger brushed the button, Natalia whirled and threw the remote into the shadows. Bruce moved from them, startling everyone but her and probably Dick, and caught it in one hand. In a swift, fluid movement he dropped the remote into his utility belt and snapped the compartment shut.

"WHAT?" Sweet Tooth roared. He whipped out the old remote, the one that he had used to control Natalia, and began pressing buttons frantically. When nothing worked, he threw the remote down in frustration, crushing it under his heel.

"You've just been acting this whole time," he snarled. "Should've known to keep my eye on such a little bitch."

Natalia took a step back, then moved into a fighting position. She really did long for her old costume right about now.

Before she could respond, every door burst inward and around two dozen of Sweet Tooth's men trooped in. Natalia was engaged in a fight against Sweet Tooth before she could even pause to think about Dick, or Bruce.

Sweet Tooth taunted her as they fought, using every bit of her childhood and memories as ammunition against her. Rather than listening, she directed all of her rage into her punches. Every single bit of her anger went into her fighting, all of her pent up aggression. She couldn't stop to think about his taunts, couldn't bear to consider what could be happening now to Dick, to Bruce, even to Jeffery.

While she fought, she became aware of Sweet Tooth's minions dropping like flies behind her. With each one that fell, presumably at Bruce's hands, Sweet Tooth became more and more enraged. When one of the last had fallen, Dick finally appeared beside her.

They fought like a perfect team, for the first time in far too long. They bobbed and weaved, perfectly in sync with one another. They were gaining ground against Sweet Tooth. In a minute or less, he should be done. Natalia felt a rush of joy. She had missed this. She had missed this so much.

And then many things happened at once.

**Oh, how I love a nice little cliffie. Don't worry, I'm not going to completely abandon the story. I'm not like that. Buuuuuuuut I do refuse to post early, and might accidentally post late. Still, feel free to review/PM me if you have any guesses as to what might happen, if I'm going to put in a surprise twist, something. See you later, Internet peoples!**


	45. Chapter 45

**Yeah, sorry I had a brain fart and forgot to post when I was supposed to. It was only two more days, I think, not too bad. So... BACK TO THE STORY**

**Disclaimer: As I have said this over forty times by now, I really don't think it's necessary any more. I still own next to nothing. **

**NJ**

Two knives flashed out of nowhere, one headed for her, the other for Dick. Natalia ducked to the side just in time. Rather than the knife impaling itself in her throat, it caught her across the cheek. The force wasn't enough to throw her to the floor, but she was spun around.

She touched her cheek; it came back sticky with blood. Where had the knives come from? Not from Sweet Tooth, she knew that much.

Natalia whirled around, her eyes taking in the scene in front of her. Sweet Tooth stood in from of her, grinning, a slightly crazed look in his eye. Blood was dripping from a wound near his eye. Bruce was nowhere to be seen. But standing off to the side...

"Jeffery?" she said, trying to cover her surprise, her worry. Jeffery stood on a small balcony, one she hadn't noticed before. He had a horrible smirk on his face, and was holding a razor-sharp knife to Dick's throat. Natalia wondered why Dick didn't simply break free, but her answer came when he shifted. There was a huge gash in his shoulder, several inches long, and very, very deep. Blood poured from the wound, and Dick was already pale from blood loss. If she didn't do something soon... She couldn't bear to think of what could happen.

"You were with Sweet Tooth the whole time," she growled, stalling for time, looking around for a chance. Any chance.

Sweet Tooth threw back his head and laughed. "You really believe that I would hire some traitorous idiot to work for me? Honestly?" His voice was half incredulous, half amused. "How stupid can you heroes get?" Before his voice attracted Bruce's attention, who Natalia assumed was still fighting, Jeffery shot him a glance. Sweet Tooth pouted, but shut up.

"You're no fun," he muttered.

Jeffery ignored this remark and focused on Natalia. "I was never Sweet Tooth's assistant," he snarled. "True, this apartment is my father's. And my father is dead. But Sweet Tooth here didn't kill him. Batman did." Noting the flicker of confusion in her eyes, he explained further.

"When my father was alive, he often went by the name of Sluggers. He ran a small criminal operation, and raised me to follow in his footsteps. One night he was out doing some work with his partner, Matches. Batman ruined the entire operation. My father fought valiantly to stop him, but he ended up badly injured. He died that night, and I swore I would one day exact my revenge upon Batman."

"But why wait until now to attack?" Natalia asked. "Why not sooner?" Dick's face was growing paler by the second. She needed to act, and act fast.

"Well you see," he grinned, "I was only nine when Sam here first attacked. Imagine my excitement when I saw how this little boy's kidnapping," here he dug his fingers into Dick's shoulder, and Dick stifled a gasp. Natalia couldn't imagine the pain he must be in. "Oh, did that hurt you? Walk it off, bird boy. Now, where was I?

"Ah, yes. Imagine my excitement when Batman was so devastated over little Dick's kidnapping. Even when his plan failed-"

"Hey!" Sweet Tooth protested. "It didn't fail, it just... Didn't work perfectly..."

"If I could continue," Jeffery said, his voice deadly quiet. "I knew it was a good idea. So my friends and I dragged his sorry half-dead ass out of that vat of hot chocolate and came up with a new plan. A plan that would have gone perfectly, had you not been introduced."

The mention of Sweet Tooth's plan five years before made something click in Natalia's mind. If she could just reach her belt in time...

The idea seemed to enter Dick's mind at the same moment. Ever so slightly, ever so slowly, he nodded.

Natalia took a deep breath before she so much as thought of moving. This had worked for Bruce, to an extent, five years ago. Could she possibly work it in her favor now?

She couldn't afford to wait any longer. Quick as a flash, she pulled out a batarang and whipped it at Jeffery's eye. He caught it just as Sweet Tooth had, millimeters before it made contact.

That was where things went wrong.

Rather than releasing Dick to reagin his balance, as she had hoped he would do, Jeffery tightened his grip, pinwheeling backward toward the edge of the balcony. At the last possible second before he went over, his hand shot out and grabbed Sweet Tooth by the neck.

"You're coming with me," he grunted. A second later they were gone.

Natalia didn't even pause to think. She had only moments.

Quickly, she pulled out a grappling hook and wrapped it around the railing, then soared over the edge of the building without bothering to double check the strength of her anchor.

She angled her body in Dick's direction as she fell, aiming for the glints and flashes of red, green, and gold. Thankfully, Jeffery had let go of Dick when he fell, so that made one less thing she needed to worry about.

Seconds before impact, she caught up with Dick and wrapped the hook's cord around his waist.

"This will probably hurt!" Natalia cried, but her voice was lost to the wind. A second later they were jerked to a stop. The railing had held. The cord had held. They weren't dead.

After Natalia glanced at Dick's face, she was considerably less reassured. They weren't quite out of the woods yet.

Before she began to haul the two of them back up the cord, she looked down to the street, probably three, maybe four stories below. Jeffery and Sweet Tooth lay crumpled on the asphalt. They had fallen seventeen stories. There was no way they could have survived.

As she looked back up to the balcony, a face appeared over the edge of the building.

"Need some help?" a faint voice called. Bruce's faint voice called.

"Damn right we do!" Natalia cried back. Before too long, with Natalia winding up the cord and Bruce pulling, she and Dick were on solid ground again, back on the balcony.

Bruce ran back inside to make sure none of the thugs were still there, leaving the two of them outside. Dick weaved where he stood, and Natalia swung his good arm over her shoulder. He protested, but she wasn't having any of it.

"Dick," she said, struggling slightly under his weight, "be quiet. We need to get you back to the Batcave before you pass out from blood loss. Stop protesting and just let me help you for once." She led him inside, where they met Bruce.

"All clear," he confirmed. "The GCPD will be on their way to pick up these guys any time now. We have to go now."

"Wait just a moment," Natalia said. She let go of Dick, allowing Bruce to support him. Crouching down, she searched through one unconscious man's pocket for his keys. Once she found them, she stood up.

"I have to go get Cyndi," she told them. "You guys go outside. I'll bring her out in just a minute." Bruce nodded, and Natalia jogged off in the direction of her former prison.

**So yup. I honestly don't even know how Jeffery being evil happened. I just started writing the climax and thought 'Hmmmm... I need a twist in here somewhere...' and then Jeffery just kind of decided to be evil. Sooo... Two more chapters? Three? No more than three, probably. **


	46. Chapter 46

**Hi guys! So here's the deal. If this chapter seems shorter than usual (I don't know how long it is, as I've written the entire thing on my Notes app... yeah...), it's because this was one chapter but I wanted to look at the second half again. Plus I felt it would flow better if they were separated. So this chapter is third to last instead of second to last. **

**NJ**

The door was already hanging open when she arrived.

"Cyndi?" Natalia called, on edge. When no one answered, she entered, cautious.

She relaxed somewhat when no one attacked her. There was no sign of anyone in the room. Including Cyndi.

Natalia was about to leave to search the building when she spied a scrap of paper lying on the bed. She walked over and snatched it up.

_Natalia,_ she read, _I've picked the lock on the door. Going to sneak out. I promise I'll be fine. Leaving through where Sam keeps his car. Meet you at the front of the building. -Cyndi_

Natalia crumpled the note up and stuffed it into one of her pockets. She strode out of the room, following the path to the stairwell. She hoped against hope that Cyndi was all right, that nothing had happened.

Natalia reached the door to the apartment and stopped dead in her tracks.

Lying against the wall, blood covering her torso, was Cyndi.

She was dead, or very close.

Natalia ran forward, crouching beside Cyndi, cradling the woman in the arms. To her surprise, Cyndi's eyes fluttered open, focusing on Natalia.

"Natalia," she rasped, "I'm sorry. I should have... should have stayed in the room... I'm... I'm sorry, Natalia."

Tears streamed down Natalia's face. "You're going to be okay, Cyndi," she said, trying to convince herself as well as Cyndi. "I'll bring you back to the Batcave, we'll get you fixed up, and you can live with the four of us. We can rebuild the studio, start the company again. Everything's going to be fine."

"Are you okay? Are Dick... are Dick and Bruce all... all right? And... Sam? Is he okay... or is he... is he dead?"

Natalia choked back a sob. "We're all fine," she told Cyndi, "Dick has a little scratch, but we'll be all right. Sam is dead, Cyndi. So is Jeffery. They were working together."

Cyndi nodded. "I know," she said. "The girl who stabbed me... She was your age... She told me about Jeffery. But... Sam..." she sighed. "Well, he wasn't... wasn't Sam anymore... I'm a little glad he's... he's dead... Now I know... I'll see the man I loved... very soon... Good bye, Natalia." Her voice trailed off, nearly inaudible by the time she was finished. As Natalia watched, the light in Cyndi's eyes dimmed, and finally vanished.

Cyndi, the closest thing Natalia had had to a parent for eight years, had died in her arms.

And it was all her fault.

If she hadn't come up with such a dangerous plan... Cyndi would still be here now. But no, Natalia had to take risks, do whatever was possible to escape. In the process, she had gotten Dick injured and Cyndi killed.

Why was she so stupid?

Natalia stumbled away from Cyndi's body, blinded by grief. She wasn't aware of walking down seventeen flights of stairs, but she must have. She found herself in an alley, sirens sounding from the front of the building. She heard Dick call out to her, saw the Batmobile, engines running, ready to go, and walked, completely numb, in their direction. It was not until the trio was well away from the building that anyone spoke.

"What's wrong, Natalia?" Dick asked. He sat next to her in the backseat, still pale, but Bruce had wrapped some gauze around his wound, staunching the blood flow. He should be perfectly fine once they reached the Batcave. "Where is Cyndi?"

Natalia paused, then said rather bluntly, "Cyndi's dead." Instead of bursting into uncontrollable sobbing, as she would have a few months ago, a few tears slid down her face. Nothing more.

The car was silent. "That's..." Dick began after a moment or two, "that's terrible... I can't... How?"

"She got out of the room. Didn't make it far before someone stabbed her. She... she died in my arms." An uncomfortable silence filled the air again.

"Well," said Bruce, trying to fake a cheery, or at least pleasant, tone. "On the bright side, we never need to worry about Sweet Tooth again. Gotham is safe. The citizens will live another day."

Dick nodded. "And everyone owes a huge thanks to Natalia," he added. "She planned the escape. We wouldn't be standing here without her."

True, Natalia thought to herself, but it's also all my fault Cyndi is dead.

The ride continued for another few minutes, Dick and Bruce carrying on with their awkward conversation. Once they arrived at the manor, Natalia immediately stepped out and walked over to Dick's side, helping him out, despite more protests, and wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Come on, lets get you fixed up," she said, her voice carrying a falsely happy tone. With that, the three walked off into the depths of the Batcave.

**I'm a terrible person. I am a terrible person. You don't even have to tell me. I know I am. **

**But... Just a quick thing. Let me know, whether by review or PM, I don't mind, if you think I should do a story about how Cyndi and Sam met and became Candy and Sweet Tooth. My friend is kinda begging me for it, but I can't decide if I should wait a while or just a little bit. Let me know what you think. It's pathetic, really, but I feel like I should honor her or something... I get too attached to my characters. **


	47. Chapter 47

**Hello, Gotham! It's me, Sweet Tooth... I wish. It would be cool to be a supervillain... Or a superhero... It would be fun either way. ANYHOO, after that lovely depressing chapter of sadness that I STILL feel awful for doing, I decided to treat you guys with two nice little happy wrap-up chapters. Also my friend demanded more scenes with Dick and Natalia. She's even come up with a ship name for them... I worry about her sometimes. **

**Disclaimer: I still own Natalia. Everything else belongs to someone else. Hence the term ****_fan_****fiction. **

**NJ**

Natalia was running for her life, Cyndi beside her, alive and well again. She held an unfamiliar knife in her hand, stretched out in front of her. The sound of footsteps grew louder and faster, closing in on them.

Cyndi glanced back and gasped, and in that moment she tripped and fell onto Natalia's outstretched knife. She dropped to the floor, and Natalia cradled her in her arms. Cyndi began to cough up blood, and soon fell limp in Natalia's arms, dead.

Natalia felt someone behind her, and turned. Jeffery, covered in blood, his neck twisted at an impossible angle, stood behind her, a sharp, wicked knife in his hand. He took aim at Natalia's throat. Just before the blade pierced her neck, she opened her mouth and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Natalia woke with a start for the fifth time that night. She kept having the same nightmare.

Looking up at the clock, Natalia saw that it was just after two in the morning. She sighed and stood up, pushing her feet into a pair of slippers. Maybe she would feel better after some water, or tea, or something. She wouldn't get back to sleep for a while at this rate.

Natalia carefully made her way downstairs, through the dark manor, and eventually to the kitchen. She bustled about for a few minutes, trying to make herself a mug of tea as quietly as possible. Once it was ready, she grasped it in both hands and shuffled back upstairs.

As she passed Dick's room, she noticed a faint bluish glow from the other side of the cracked door. Was he still awake? Quietly, not wanting to disturb him if he was asleep, Natalia pushed the door open a bit more and stuck her head in. Dick was seated on a small sofa beside the window. Luckily, his wound wasn't nearly as bad as it had seemed before. Rather than ending up in the hospital, Dick was fine after a few stitches and a rather large bandage. It would hurt horribly for a while, but shouldn't cause too much trouble. The blue glow came from the television across from him.

"Natalia?" he asked. "What are you doing awake?"

Natalia shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

"I couldn't, either." He patted the seat behind him, and she walked in and sat down, her entire body curled around her mug. She sat for a moment, not talking, just staring into her mug. Thinking about everything that had happened. After a few minutes, Dick broke the silence.

"Natalia, are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle. "I'm really sorry about... well, everything. Especially about Cyndi."

Natalia didn't look up from her mug. "I'm just... she was the closest thing I've had to a mother in a long time... to have her die in my arms..." She tried not to, but found herself crying again. To her surprise, Dick wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "It's going to be all right."

After a minute or two he let go, and Natalia set her mug down and curled her legs up under her on the sofa. She didn't want him to let go, wasn't really okay, but she wanted him to think she was all right. In reality, she was about as far from all right as possible.

"Thanks, Dick. I really... I really needed that," she said. "So... What are you watching?"

Even in the dark room, Natalia could see his blush. He fumbled for the remote, but she grabbed it before him and checked the guide.

"The Princess Bride?" she giggled. If possible, he blushed even more.

"It's not funny," he mumbled. "It's a great movie..."

"I know, it's one of my favorites!" Natalia smiled, her eyes still slightly watery. "Mind if I watch with you?" He didn't, so for the next hour and a half they sat together, laughing, crying, and even flinching at the right moments.

**DG**

When the credits began to roll, Dick glanced over at Natalia. She had propped her head on his unharmed shoulder about halfway through the movie. To his surprise, and admittedly, his pleasure, she had fallen asleep.

He thought she looked beautiful. She looked fine in her costume, fine in the gala dress, but now, practically swimming in an oversize t-shirt, her hair tousled from sleep - she was gorgeous.

Dick turned his head ever so slightly and leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead.

**NJ**

Natalia's head was still lying on Dick's good shoulder. The movie had just finished, and her eyes were closed. She sensed Dick looking at her for a few seconds, and then move closer.

Without pausing to think, she tilted her head up, and their lips met.

It was quick, only a few seconds, but it was perfect. Truly, that was the only word to describe those few, far too short seconds. Perfect.

Natalia settled her head back on Dick's shoulder, her world a shade brighter than before. In the dark world they lived it, it was nice to find a little bit of light every once in a while.

**So yup. I told you they would have a moment. Eventually. Even if my description completely sucked. It still happened. And you people are not allowed to laugh at me. The Princess Bride is a fantastic movie. Great book, too. If you've never seen it, you need to go watch it now. **


	48. Chapter 48

**Here it is... *sniffs* The final chapter... *sniffs again* I'm glad I did this... *sniffs a third time* I've come to absolutely... Absolutely... *bursts out sobbing***

**...Sorry... I'm just sad it's over now... I've come to absolutely love this story. I'm sad to see it go... I think I'm suffering from PFSD... Post Fanfiction Sadness Disorder... I'm seriously going to miss these characters...**

**Disclaimer: Batman, Robin, Gotham and all its citizens, landmarks, and etc. are the sole property of DC Comics. Sweet Tooth, Candy, and probably everyone else you recognize belong to Team Starkid. Natalia, Jeffery, and the alter egos of Cyndi Evans (yes, that's her last name. Yes, I'm obsessed with Harry Potter) Travis and Samuel Travis are mine, and mine alone.**

**Also, one last note. After carefully going over all time lapses and such throughout the story, I figured out that the final battle took place on approximately April 23rd, 2003 (it would be 2002, but the final battle in HMB was before dawn on January 1st, 1998. Don't believe me? Watch it and check). This little bit takes place nine days later, on May 2nd. A very significant date. If any of you figure it out (it's quite simple, actually. Including the year, though) I will send you some lovely virtual cookies. You may select the flavor.**

**DG**

*Nine Days Later*

Dick looked down at the cake and brushed his hands off on a towel.

"It's not the most beautiful thing the world's ever seen," he said, "but it's the thought that counts, right?" He looked over to Bruce, standing a few feet away, a light dusting of flour in his hair.

Bruce shrugged. "You're the one who wanted to make her a cake rather than just buying one."

"Again, it's the thought that counts," Dick repeated as he covered a slightly cracked corner with more frosting. "And she needs sonething to cheer her up. I've been worried about her... She's been in a bad way since Cyndi died." It was true. Dick had thought she was mending the night they watched the movie together, but he had been wrong. If anything, she was worse than before. She hardly ever left her room any more.

Bruce nodded in agreement, and the two friends stood in silence for a moment.

"Done," Dick announced as he finished the cake. He rinsed his hands off and grabbed a small wrapped box off the counter. Before leaving the kitchen, he hesitated.

"Erm, Bruce," he said, "do you know where she is? I've hardly seen her at all today."

"Come to think of it, I haven't really seen her either. Check her room, obviously. Maybe the Batcave. If she's not there, she'll probably be on the grounds somewhere." Dick nodded his thanks and bounded up the stairs.

Dick knocked lightly on Natalia's bedroom door, calling her name a few times before he entered. She didn't seem to be in the room - not in the window seat or the small nook in her closet, her two favorite spots to the best of Dick's knowledge. He was about to leave before he felt a faint breeze in the room.

Dick turned his attention back to the window seat, in particular the window this time. It was slightly ajar, as if someone had tried to close it but hadn't fully succeeded. He cracked it open a bit more and stuck his head out. There was no balcony, but there was a small pipe leading to the rooftop, perfect for climbing.

Dick carefully placed the box in his pocket, swung himself out the window, and began to climb.

**NJ**

Natalia drew her legs closer to her as she sat on the rooftop. It was rather cool up here for a spring night, and she had forgotten a jacket, but it was just so quiet, so peaceful. The lights of Gotham twinkled in front of her, and the sight had helped her think for the past few days.

She tilted her head back, looking at the stars. There may not have been as many as in the country, but it was still beautiful to see.

Natalia heard a faint creak coming from her window a few feet below. She quickly dismissed it. She didn't know of anyone who knew about this little spot; no one would bother her.

A few moments later, a head popped up over the edge of the roof. It was quickly followed by a body, and Dick walked quietly over and sat down beside Natalia.

"Beautiful night," he said, looking up at the stars as well. Natalia just nodded, and he glanced over to her. "Happy birthday," he added.

Natalia laughed quietly, a bitter, sad sound. "Happy?" she asked. "It's not happy, Dick. Cyndi's dead. Pretty shitty birthday to me." She pulled her legs even closer and twirled a piece of hair around one finger, staring out at the horizon.

"Actually," Dick said, "I have something for you. It's a birthday present... from Cyndi. The police found it and gave it to me." Natalia glanced up, and Dick held out the box. She took it, her hands shaking, and unwrapped it carefully. It was a jewelry box, and Natalia took great care as she slowly cracked it open.

Lying on the dark blue velvet inside was a long, delicate gold chain with three things dangling from it. There were two small charms, one a tiny pointe shoe, one a tiny mockingbird. Hanging in between the two was a gold ring with a beautiful, sparkling diamond. An engagement ring.

As Natalia began to lift it from the box, she noticed a small piece of paper she had missed before. She placed the necklace back on the velvet and unfolded the note. Dick moved closer, trying to read as well, and she angled her body so he could see.

_"Dear Natalia," _it said,_ "happy sixteenth birthday. I have planned the celebration of your birthday for nearly a year now, but recent events have caused changes in my plan. The girls at the studio were going to help me set up a large party rather than class on the big day, but I know now that that is no longer an option. I am writing this as Sam plots the newest of his schemes. I have heard the words 'mind control,' 'Natalia,' and 'Mockingbird' used more than once. I can only hope he fails. I am also beginning to think he suspects me of helping you and the others. So if you have received this note, one of two things has happened. Either it is your birthday, and everything is fine, or I may be dead."_

_You are dead, _Natalia thought bitterly, _everything's not fine. _But she still read on.

_"But now for your birthday, a far happier subject. Since your first day at my studio all those years ago, I knew you were special. We've become closer over the years, and that is why I am giving this to you. The necklace was mine when I was younger, though the charms are new. The pointe shoe is to remind you that you will always have a home in dance, at my studio. Whether I am there or not, dancing has the power to let you leave your troubles behind. The mockingbird is, of course, to symbolize your new life as a superhero. When you see it, you can remember the good you are fighting for._

_"The third thing is a bit different," _the note continued. _"It is my engagement ring from Sam. I am giving this to you for three reasons. One, it will be something you can always, always remember me by. Two, this has been passed down in my family for generations. Sam and I never had children, and we were both only children, so I am giving it to you. And three, I never want you to give up on Dick. Even I have seen the way you look at each other, and one day, when you're older, maybe that ring will leave your neck and go on your finger."_

Natalia blushed, refusing to look back at Dick. Cyndi had always believed in soul mates, destiny. She used to predict which of her students would end up together. The funny thing was, she was almost always right.

_"I hope, if by the time you receive this I am no longer here, that you live a long, happy, wonderful life. You can make of it what you wish. I hope you have a wonderful sixteenth birthday. With love, Cyndi."_

Natalia placed the note back in the box and looked at the necklace, numb. Cyndi... She still couldn't believe she was gone. She squeezed he eyes shut and buried her head in her knees.

Natalia remained like that for a moment, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, and, unsurprisingly, it was Dick. She wiped a few stray tears off her cheeks. She looked at him expectantly, and he opened his mouth as if to say something. He hesitated though, and rather than speaking, he pulled Natalia into a tight hug.

Natalia finally realized, finally accepted what had happened while Dick's arms were wrapped around her. Cyndi was dead. She wasn't coming back, she wasn't about to bound through the door, excited to talk about whatever. She was gone.

Natalia cried and cried, finally letting out all the emotion. She cried not only for Cyndi, but for her family, Dick's family, Bruce's family. All the families, all the friends that had been torn away, too early and without reason. She felt a few drops on her shoulder and knew Dick was crying too.

They stayed like that for a while, each finding comfort in the other's embrace. Once they were finished, unable to cry any more, Natalia broke away. She laid down on her back and looked up at the stars. More had appeared since Dick had found her.

"You know, Cyndi used to love the constellations," Natalia said suddenly. "When we would have late night practices, she would always make an effort to get us all to somewhere with a good view, and she would tell us the stars' stories. I sometimes helped. My parents loved them, and we had lots of books on them when I was little."

Dick laid down beside her. "What can you tell me about them? I'm afraid I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to astronomy."

"Well, my and Cyndi's favorite was always Andromeda," Natalia said as she pointed out the constellation. "We both loved the story, although Cyndi always said that Andromeda should have escaped on her own."

"What's Andromeda's story? Could you tell me?"

"I'm not much good at storytelling, but I'll try. So, there was once a princess named Andromeda. She was the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, the king and queen of a kingdom known as Ethiopia. Now, Cassiopeia was very boastful of her own beauty..."

The two of them spent nearly an hour on the rooftop, Natalia telling tale after tale of the constellations, whether they were visible or not, Dick sharing his own stories every once in a while. Bruce found them eventually, and rather than calling them down, he simply handed up two pieces of the cake and left for the Batcave.

So they talked, and talked, and talked, until the moon was high in the sky. As it neared dawn, they both slipped back in through the window and went to their respective rooms. Natalia practically collapsed onto her bed, and started to drift off almost immediately. She did have one coherent thought, or at least a feeling, before she fell asleep.

She felt safe, and she felt... almost... happy. The city was safe. Cyndi was in, truly, a much better place. And Natalia had finally found someone she could open up to, someone who cared.

A slight smile crossed her face as her hand grasped the new necklace around her neck. She toyed with the charms for a moment, then finally drifted to sleep, happy that at last, it was over. They were safe.

For now, at least.

Fin.

***Still bawling uncontrollably***

**I'm just here to tell you that I have started work on the Cyndi/Sam fic (along with two more. One Starkid RPF - yes, I'm going to write, or at least try to write one of those - and one Hunger Games fic). I honestly have no idea what to post first. It will be a while, as I usually like to write at least twentyish chapters in advance to prevent gaps between updates. But I'll post eventually. Before mid September. Probably.**

**Oh, and as to the end of this fic. Yes, it is the end. I will not be posting more (despite the final sentence that vaguely suggests continuation). I have, however, toyed with the idea of a sequel. Not any time soon, mind you. It might involve a character from my friend's story as the main villain, actually. Let me know what you think.**

**Until next time, guys!**


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